Camp Catchem'all
by moscowmoocow
Summary: Four months of training, romance, coordinating, comedy, battling, action, adventure, and tragedy! Do you have what it takes to make it through this crazy summer? See more inside! OC SUBMISSIONS CLOSED UNTIL SINNOH.
1. Part 1OC Form

Camp Catchemall

Hey I've decided I would also try an OC story—just because I think the dynamic is so interesting.

The story is going to be a pokemon summer camp story—involving training, battling, and lots of touring during the countryside. The camp is four months long, and every month the camp switches locations. (maybe cities, maybe islands, maybe regions, I haven't decided)

If you'd like to submit an OC please fill out this form:

Name:

Age: (14-19 please, unless you're creating a counselor)

Sex: (male or female ONLY)

Appearance:

Personality/Preferences:

Home City:

PKMN (six only, and don't list the friggin attacks please):

History/Family:

Ambitions: (Trainer? Coordinator? Breeder?)

Desired Part: (Main character? Villian? Ally? Counselor? Camper?)

Please submit one and I'll start writing once I have 4!

Thankyou!

Example:

Name: Hiro Taminama

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Personality: Hiro is very peculiar. He absolutely loves practical jokes and will go to great measures to pull them off. On top of that, he's an extreme flirt. Hiro can almost always be seen drinking black coffee and reading classic literature. But underneath this wild and flirtatious exterior lies a guy who is insecure, and carrying a tortured past. This version of Hiro can be seen if someone gets through his defenses and holds a place in his heart. Despite his past Hiro loves to smile and laugh. He's the guy everyone loves to hate. He also can be a bit forgetful. In order to remember information, he snaps his fingers (from pinkie to pointer) three times. He is very interested in people and studies them constantly. Hiro is also intuitive and can occasionally sense thoughts and feelings. Hiro likes to play the guitar and usually serenades passing women with a surprisingly good singing voice. He is grossed out by steak and refuses to eat it. He also shies away from fried foods (minus dumplings) He is compassionate and inspired but is notorious for slacking off when he thinks no one is watching. Hiro lastly can be a very jealous person and attacks others when he feels threatened.

Appearance: Hiro is 6 feet tall and very skinny. He has short black hair that is styled in a fohawk. He wears v-necks almost constantly and tight black skinnies. Hiro has a fetish, of sorts, for bracelets. Every kind- saints bracelets, friendship bracelets, leather cuffs, beaded stretchy bracelets, etc and can be seen even showering with these bracelets on. Occasionally, when He doesn't want to deal with his hair he straps on a black bandana with a white half pokeball on it. Hiro has a light olive skin tone and odd eyes. His left eye is a cloudy blue while his right is brown. He lost his sight in a childhood accident in his left eye. He had braces and headgear for four years and the result is perfect white teeth. It is rumored that he has a rayquasa tattooed on his butt but this is neither confirmed or denied. He always is wearing the same belt with a red pokeball buckle and his pokemon clipped to it. The only object he carries around is a simple black backpak.

Aspirations: Trainer

Home City: Celadon City (Kanto)

Pokemon:

Jolteon (Kanto) Hiro's starter pokemon and his best friend. Jolteon is powerful and hates being in its pokeball.

Charizard (Johto) Charizard was a charmeleon when Hiro traded a croconaw for it. Charizard is used for travel mostly.

Torterra (Sinnoh) Traded a powerful gengar for this beast. Torterra is fast and loves to torment smaller pokemon.

Drifloon (Sinnoh) Was an accident, really. The poor thing wouldnt stop following him so he caught it as his own.

Flareon (Kanto) Volatile to those that displease it. A bit of a sadist, but very affectionate. Unyielding in battle.

Mudkip (Hoenn) Hiro is an honarary member of the B-Button League for this little guy. He's full potential.

Family: Nozomi Taminama (Mother), Poke Stylistm, Daisuke Taminama (Father) Pokemon breeder, Yumi Yokomaru (Aunt), Pokemon coordinator, and Shizune Taminama (younger sister). Hiro's family were killed in a brutal car crash when he was six years old. His sister wasn't wearing a seatbelt and his parents were hit dead on. It was a miracle Hiro survived.


	2. Pewter City, Here I come!

**Hello everyone! This is the first chapter of Camp Catchem'all! But sadly, I have wayyy too many girls. So for a while I will only take male submissions! You all are welcome to submit as many as you like! Enjoy-Katie. **

_Dear Camper, _

_You have been cordially invited to attend Camp Catchem'all this summer. If you are interested in attending, please fill out the enclosed paperwork and return it promptly, or bring it with you on the first day! The camp will begin June 2__nd__, and end on September 20__th__. All of our campers will be aged 15-19, and be prepared for four months of training, battling, and summer fun! _

_We would be obliged if you brought the following:_

_1-6 Pokemon _

_1 Sleeping Bag_

_Appropriate Clothing (Hiking Boots, Swimsuit, Summer Clothes, etc)_

_Writing Material _

_1 Reusable water bottle _

_Appropriate Toiletries (Toothbrush, Soap, Shampoo, 2 Towels, Deodorant, Female Sanitation) _

_Please come to the Pokemon Center in Pewter City on June 1__st__ to meet your counselors and fellow campers. _

_We hope to see you and your Pokemon soon! _

_Sincerely, _

_Nikolas Tarkov_

_Head of the Federation of Pokemon Summer Camps_

Hiro Taminama, a boy around 17, read the letter aloud to his Aunt.

"Yumi, can I please go? I'll pay and I'll take a bus and—" Hiro was cut short when Yumi Yokomaru slapped her hand across his face. On his left side—his blind side. Hiro stayed quiet and touched his hand to his stinging cheek.

"Why would I allow you to go to some summer camp? A waste of space doesn't deserve a waste of time!" Her voice was cruel, evil, with every word drenched in hate for the boy.

"Please, Aunt Yumi."

The small woman glared at her nephew for a few moments.

"You have a choice. You can either go to this camp—and officially never come back to this house. Or, you can stay here and still have a home."

In Hiro's mind the decision was easy.

"Okay, I'll pack tonight and leave for Pewter City tomorrow."

"Good. I was getting tired of seeing your hideous face." She moved quickly, as if to hit him, and Hiro flinched. She laughed and shook her head.

"I'm counting the moments until you're finally gone."

Hiro walked from the room, tears stinging in his eyes.

XXX

"I don't get why she hates me so much." Hiro told his Jolteon. The electric pokemon licked his hand in response.

"Yeah she's a bitch, huh?" Hiro smiled, revealing rows of straight white teeth. The last thing he packed in his duffel bag was the picture of his family. Before it was separated. His mother stood behind him, her brown eyes warm and loving. His father, whom he looked like, was devastatingly handsome even as a middle aged man. And his sister—although annoying as she could be—held Hiro's hand in a vice. The entire scene seemed so far away now. So foreign.

"HIRO!" His Aunt screeched from downstairs. Hiro detested the sound and decided it was time to leave. Tonight.

"GET DOWN HERE, NOW."

Anger raged within the boy's stomach as he stomped down the stairs.

"Don't ruin my floors, you ungrateful brat. Do these dishes before you go to bed." She snarled, dropping a plate and smashing it into a million fragments.

"No."

She wheeled around. "_Excuse me_?"

"No, you evil bitch. I'm done being related to you. You're an absolutely horrible person and I am soo not surprised that you're single and everyone hates you. Do your own damn dishes." His aunt swung to slap him but Hiro caught her wrist.

"Not again." Hiro threw her arm down and turned away. Yumi Yokomaru stood in the kitchen, almost as if she had been electrocuted.

Upstairs, Hiro walked out to the balcony and released his Charizard. It roared in relief and stretched its colossal wings. Hiro attached his sleeping bag and duffel to his Pokémon's back and leapt on. Jolteon followed suit and sat in Hiro's lap. Hiro took one more look at the bright lights of Celadon before kicking off hard, eager to begin his journey from the ashes of his broken family.

XXX

"Delcatty! If we miss this train I swear to goodness we'll be late!" The girl scooped up her luggage and threw it onto a trolley, pushing it slowly towards the train platform.

The small cat pokemon meowed and leapt onto her shoulder. Once she was situated on the train, a boy sat in the seat across from her. Around the boy's neck was a shiny Ekans, and it hissed at her Delcatty. He stared at her with vibrant green eyes and opened his mouth to speak.

"Hey, my name is Zach Rush."

"I'm Emily Johnson." Her voice was somewhat quiet, sweet, and she swept her brown hair over one shoulder.

"Where are you headed?" Zach asked.

"This summer camp in Kanto. It's called—" she rummaged through her pack for the paperwork. "Camp Catchem'all?"

The boy's face lit up in surprise.

"I'm going, too! What a coincidence!" Zach shouted. Emily mentally sighed. This was going to be a _long_ train ride.

XXX

"Mark, Let's go. We're supposed to have boarded by now." Alessandra "Alex" Cesarini fixed her blue headband and called back Blaze, her Infernape.

"Okay, okay! I'm coming!" Markus Pearl gave his best friend a playful shove and slung his carry on over his shoulder. They half-ran through the terminal and into Gate C. A flight attendant tapped Alex on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, miss? Would you and your boyfriend like to upgrade your tickets?" She asked.

"He's _not_ my boyfr—"

"We would _love_ to, thank you." Mark had clapped his hand over her mouth before she could finish that sentence. He wanted to pretend, even if it was just a moment, that what the attendant said was true. Alex blushed furiously and followed the stewardess into first class. Leaf, Mark's shiny Leafeon, snickered at Alex's expression and followed his master.

The intercom came on and the Captain began speaking.

_"Good evening, Sinnoh travelers! This is your Captain Tom Ato speaking, and tonight we'll be taking our journey from Twinleaf Town to the Pewter City Terminal! It's a warm summer night, about 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and the time in Pewter City is 11:00 PM. Please keep all pokemon in their pokeballs or properly harnessed in—and enjoy your flight! Thank you for flying Sinnoh Air!" _The transmission cut and the engines of the plane rumbled to life.

Once the plane gained speed and began to take off, Alex clutched Mark's hand.

"Hate airplanes?" He asked with a smile. Alex gave him a nervous smile and nod.

"It's okay, you're with me. Only a few more hours." And with that reassuring note, Alex fell asleep, gripping the hand of her childhood friend.

XXX

"Swablu! I choose you!"

The fluffy blue bird emerged from its pokeball with a gleeful chirp and flew around the bedroom a few times.

"Kame! Come down here! I have something to show you!" Her "Aunt" Miki called. Kame dragged her bags down the marble steps and next to the front door.

"Where are you, Miki?" Kame shouted.

"In here, silly!" Miki's voice came from the den and Kame eagerly followed it. The den's floors were mahogany and its walls were filled with expensive paintings. She found her mother's best friend behind the desk, with a wooden chest on its surface.

"Your mother wanted me to give this to you when you left for your pokemon journey. She gave it to me in case something ever happened to them." Miki Sahara choked on the last few words and opened the box.

Inside was a single pokeball, a new pair of gloves, and a backpack. Inside the backpack was a picture of her family, a wallet with about 3,000 dollars in it, and her mother's necklace.

Kame was so shocked she forgot to breathe. The necklace was delicate, a thin gold chain that was braided a few times. From the bottom of a chain dangled a tiny golden charm—a Vulpix.

"It looks just like mine." Kame breathed, placing the chain around her neck and picking up the pokeball.

"Open it." Miki urged.

Kame gently tapped the red pokeball against the desk's surface. With a flash of brilliance the giant pokemon bayed softly.

"A Meganium? Unbelievable!" Kame's throat was so choked with emotion that the words were hardly understandable. The great beast lowered its head and touched it to Kame's forehead. In response she threw her arms around it.

"Your parents trained Meganium from a little Chikorita—even though experts recommend the trainer does it on their own—and wanted to give it to you as a parting gift. I've been training and feeding it, don't worry, but she's all yours now."

Kame returned Meganium to her pokeball and hugged her "Aunt".

"Thank you Miki. I promise I won't let you down. When I come home, I'll be the best pokemon trainer Blackthorn City has seen! Just you wait!" Kame gave her aunt the "victory" sign and ran from the den.

"Swablu! Are you ready?"

The parrot-like pokemon chirped and landed before its master. Kame sat on Swablu's back and situated for flight.

"Off to Pewter City!" With a cry of anticipation, Kame Takeshi and her pokemon travelled through the night and into the unknown.

XXX

"Welcome to the Pewter City Pokemon center! How may I help you?" The Pewter City Nurse Joy strode into the room, flanked by a couple of Chansey. The girl ran her fingers through her short black hair and thought for a moment.

"How much for one night?" She asked. Nurse Joy frowned apologetically.

"We're booked completely! But there is one more bed available—I'd just have to confirm with the room's occupant if it's all right you stay in there."

The girl blinked her violet eyes twice and nodded.

"Sounds good to me."

Nurse Joy retreated down the hall and was back in a few minutes.

"The occupant is eager for your arrival. Your room number is Twelve. Don't hesitate to ask for anything!" Nurse Joy smiled and handed her a room key. The girl thanked her and made her way down the hall.

"Ten…Eleven…Twelve!" With a triumphant smirk she unlocked the door and kicked it open.

Standing inside was a really tall guy—wearing nothing but Jigglypuff boxers. Neither girl nor guy moved from their spot—but the girl's mouth fell agape.

"Put. On. Some. Pants." She growled, advancing into the room and throwing down her bag. The guy laughed loudly and turned to face her.

"Not a chance, shorty. You're staying with me, remember?" His voice was kind of scratchy, rustic. He walked over to his bed and sat on it.

"Who are you, anyway?" The girl asked, trying (unsuccessfully) not to stare at his muscular chest.

"I'm Riley. Riley Hansen. Age 18, I train fire pokemon, my favorite color is red, and I detest the cold. Anything else you wanna know?" Through the poorly lit room the girl could hear the smirk in his voice. It made her stomach feel as if three hundred Butterfree were flying in it.

"I-I-I'm Kaiy-ya." She mentally punched herself for stuttering. Riley raised a brow in response.

"Do I make you nervous?" His voice dropped to just above a whisper, and he stood from the bed slowly.

"N-no!" Kaiya was very unconvincing.

Riley laughed again and sat back down.

"Don't worry, babe. It's just for one night. I'm not gonna rape you or anything. Just try and get some sleep, okay?" Riley was half-laughing during this statement and Kaiya became angry. No one laughed at her.

"I don't like you. And I don't like you calling me 'babe'". Kaiya didn't stutter and her voice grew venomous.

"Well someone likes to speak their mind, ain't that just bitchy." Riley shot back.

Kaiya scoffed and strode over to his bed.

"Thank god it's only one night and then I can get away from you!" She shouted.

"Yeah, Thank god indeed!" He spat.

"Did you just say indeed?" Kaiya couldn't help but giggle a bit, and in his frustration Riley cracked a smile.

"Suddenly, I'm not so tired anymore." Riley's voice had adopted the sultry tone once more and Kai's anger dissipated instantly.

"So what brings you to Pew-t-ter Ci-t-ty?"

"This new summer camp thing. It's called Camp Catchem'all, and I figure it'll be a good way to meet new people and pokemon, y'know?" He said.

Kaiya gasped.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" He touched her arm and she drew back—his skin was alarmingly warm.

"No, no. I'm going to that camp, too!" Her excitement skyrocketed and she subconsciously leaned towards him.

Riley smiled. "Awesome. We could bunk together, y'know. We've already got some practice." He winked one blue eye at her and flipped his brown hair out of his face.

Kaiya's heartbeat quickened and her skin began to crawl. He leaned close in her face and his delicious scent—a woodsy smell and cinnamon—filled her nose. He was about an inch away when someone burst through the door.

"Miss, I brought you some extra blankets and—oh goodness! Sorry!" Nurse Joy blushed madly before running back down the hall. Kaiya adopted a furious blush of her own and immediately moved to her bed without a word.

"Night, Kaiya." Riley laughed.

"Hmpph." She growled. It was going to be another sleepless night.

XXX

The sun rose over Pewter City, casting brilliant rays of light through the terrain of Mt. Moon and onto the buildings. The people and pokemon soon began to rise to the early light and the town seemed to awaken.

With a loud roar, a Charizard swooped down to the pokemon center and landed before its entrance. Almost simultaneously, a Swablu and her master followed suit, and with a flash of a pokeball the blue parrot got to rest.

In the Pewter City Terminal, Alex and Mark woke up from an uncomfortable rest in the cheap terminal seats and gathered their luggage and pokemon.

Within the hour, a small congregation had formed in the lobby of the pokemon center.

On the back wall leaned Kaiya and Riley, whose extreme height differences seemed to illustrate the duo's entire dynamic: complete opposites.

Sitting on the low couch was Hiro, who was brushing his Jolteon and removing the majority of the static electricity from its sharp fur.

At the tables now sat the Sinnoh trainers Alex and Mark, who were conversing quietly in hushed tones.

Chasing an oddly chipper Vulpix was the 15 year old Kame, and helping her was the newly acquainted Jessica Cooper. Jessica looked around 14 years old, with gorgeous caramel colored skin and curly brown hair that was pulled back into a neat ponytail. She wore a purple t-shirt and jean capris that cut off right at her knee. Her muddy running shoes made tracks on Nurse Joy's clean floor—and a Chansey hastily cleaned wherever the pair ran.

Next to the large windows was Emily Johnson, flanked by her "friend" Zach Rush. Zach's Ekans surveyed the room with gleaming yellow eyes.

Arriving a few minutes later was another group of campers—a girl later to be known as Maria Errow, and a set of twins—Anthony and Reymundo Delafuente. Flanking the two boys was Tyler Mason, whose Luxray followed in behind him with a pompous trot.

And lastly, arriving with the two counselors was Talia Martino. Her golden hair reached her lower back and flowed in long curly tresses. Her eyes were a curious shade of burnt orange and she was daintily dressed. Definitely not an outdoor girl.

"All campers sit front and center! Everyone else, please leave the Pokemon Center!" The male counselor shouted, his accent thick and intimidating. The female counselor behind him only smirked.

"My name is Nikolas Tarkov, and I will be one of two counselors on your journey at Camp Catchem'all. This is my colleague, Hunter. You will follow any and every order we give you. Is that clear?"

Everyone found themselves nodding out of fear.

The woman named Hunter stepped forward.

"My name is Hunter Larsen. But call me Hunter. Not Ms. Larsen, or Ms. Hunter. And this—" She threw a pokeball in the air. "—Is Teddiursa." The tiny bear growled menacingly and the campers laughed. Hunter shook her head and sighed.

"Everyone please grab your things and head outside. The buses are waiting!"

With the flurry of movement Hiro kept bumping into people, impaired by the total lack of depth perception. Kame noticed this and hurried to get a seat next to him on the bus.

"Hey, my name is Kame Takeshi! What's yours?" Kame made no effort to hide the excitement in her voice. In their laps, Jolteon and Vulpix shook paws.

"My name is Hiro Taminama." He replied, and extended a hand to shake. She noticed his skin was cold, and on his arms were _millions _of bracelets. Woven ones, beaded ones, wire and plastic, you name it—it was on his wrists. Upon looking at him, she noticed he was extremely handsome, and she yearned to touch his black fohawk. Hiro noticed her staring and looked away.

"I'm sorry. It's just that—"

"I know. My eye. It's hideous. Don't worry about it." He said curtly.

Hiro's statement stung Kame. She didn't even notice his eyes—she was too busy admiring his face.

"I wasn't looking at your eyes." She corrected him, and turned away to face the aisle of the bus.

"Hey, baby, you may not be lookin' at his eyes, but by god—yours are like diamonds—I mean I get lost in them! Crap. Nevermind. I'm Tyler Mason." The awkward boy extended a hand and Kame took it. His hazel eyes peeked out from his blonde hair and Kame saw his embarrassment. She gave him an encouraging smile.

"It almost worked."

Tyler was not convinced.

XXX

The bus ride to Mt. Moon took about a couple hours, due to the fact that they had to venture inside the mountain to reach the upper levels of the outside. The stalactites dripped water onto the bus' roof, and everything within the cave echoed.

Hiro studied Kame for the bus ride as she conversed with an overly flirtatious Tyler.

"_The kid needs lessons." _Hiro thought. But in his defensive stance towards his eye, he failed to notice that Kame had a bandage over her eye as well.

He tapped her on the shoulder and she turned around, looking impatient.

"Why is your eye taped up?" Hiro asked.

Kame now noticed Hiro's cloudy blue eye and inhaled a little. His eye healed much prettier than hers did.

"A wild herd of Zangoose attacked me. They clawed out my right eye and I can't see out of it."

Any anger or discontent instantly dissipated from Hiro's stomach. Someone else shared his impediment.

"What happened to you?" She asked.

Hiro just shook his head "no" and turned to face the window.

XXX

"Tony, I swear to god if you touch my leg one more time…" Reymundo "Rey" Delafuente snarled. His older brother stared at him with taunting red eyes, and his black hair sat unkempt on his head.

"Yeah? Whatcha gonna do about it?" Tony deliberately poked one finger onto his brother's thigh, and Rey slammed Tony's head into the window. Rey grabbed a fistful of Tony's tight black shirt and growled.

Under pressure from his brother's body and the fact that his head was sandwiched between the glass—Tony began to laugh. He wriggled from his brother's grip and tackled Rey into the aisle, tugging at his black cargo pants. They wrestled in the middle of the bus until Maria pulled them apart.

"Will you idiots knock it off already?" Anger colored her dark skin affectionately as she slammed their heads together.

"Ow!" They exclaimed in unison.

"Don't you make me come back there again!" Maria warned, and she returned to chatting with Talia for the remainder of the ride.

"Attention! All of you little maggots will be getting off the bus in single file lines, and you will line up outside until I give you cabin assignments! Is this clear?" Tarkov roared.

Everyone nodded once more and the bus eventually emptied.

"Cabin #1: Taminama, Hansen, Mason, Delafuente!" Hunter shouted.

"Which one?" The twins asked.

"Anthony!" Hunter replied.

"Cabin #2: Rush, Pearl, Delafuente!" Tarkov handed them the key and directed them accordingly.

"Cabin#3: Cesarini, Johnson, Takeshi, Kaiya!" Hunter called.

"And Cabin #4: Martino, Cooper, Errow!"

With every camper assigned, the counselors called lights out, and instructed everyone to bed down and get some rest, because tomorrow was "supposed to be hell."

Every camper wondered just exactly how like hell this camp was going to be.


	3. Shut Your Mouth Before Things Get Ugly

**Okay everyone I've got a perfect writing mindset so I'm just gonna crank out chapters. **

**Thanks for the submissions via PM and reviews—greatly appreciated! PLEASE tell me what you think of the story as I go along. I'm trying to include as many as the newbies as I can **_**evenly**_**, but sadly this will not always be the case. But know I'm trying! **

**Love, Katie**

**XXX**

Story Start:

A shrill shrieking erupted around the campgrounds, waking every living creature within range. Shouts of frustration and exasperation resounded from the cabins, and soon Tarkov's voice boomed over the PA system.

"_WAKE UP, LADIES. BE OUTSIDE IN FIFTEEN MINUTES OR BE SUBJECT TO PUNISHMENT_!"

Within the first cabin, Hiro was already awake and halfway ready. He rose with the sun and quietly roused his cabin mates who slept like the dead.

"Anthony. Anthony. Anthony. Anthony." With each utterance Hiro poked Tony in the face. After the sixth he shot out of bed.

"What? Where's the fire?" Anthony rolled onto the hardwood floor with an "oomph!" and groaned. Riley laughed and pulled his duffel bag off of the shelf, rummaging for his usual ripped jeans and red flannel.

"Bro, aren't you going to wear a shirt under that?" Tyler asked, slipping on his dark sleeveless shirt with the phrase "I'm just there" emblazoned on the back in white letters. He tugged on a pair of relatively loose black jeans, tethered to his gangly build with a bright yellow belt.

Riley just laughed.

"The ladies love this look, Tyler. Wouldn't wanna risk it." He replied.

"Amen to that!" Hiro called from the bathroom. The entire room snickered.

Tony completed his usual look of red cargo pants and black t-shirt by tousling his black hair to the perfect level of sexiness, and Hiro clipped his pokemon to his blood red belt.

XXX

"Oooh! Can I borrow your curling iron?" Jessica asked, pointing to the expensive ceramic tool that Talia was holding.

"Of course! Let me finish this one strand, and then it's all yours!"

Contrary to popular belief, Talia was a very sweet and generous person. But her entire posture screamed spoiled brat. The girls rushed getting ready and made it outside just as Tarkov lined up the guys.

"Good morning campers! Today is the first day of Camp Catchem'all, and considers this your informational briefing!" Tarkov strode up and down the line, and it seemed as if this was more of a boot camp than a summer camp.

Hunter walked out into the rising sun after him, its rays catching in her green hair, which had been thrown together in a messy bun.

"We're going to give you a full tour of the campgrounds—at least for this month." She was wearing a thin yellow sports bra and a sleek yellow jacket over it. Her jeans were tight and black, as well as her heels.

Hiro raised his hand.

"Yes, Taminama?" She asked.

"How old are you, Hunter?"

"…Twenty one." She replied.

Riley smirked and high-fived Hiro behind his back. Hunter got in Hiro's face and hissed,

"Don't even think about it, boy." Hiro did not cringe, nod, or quiver. He kept his smirk and winked.

Hunter scoffed and stepped back next to her colleague, clearly frustrated. At her feet, Teddiursa snarled.

"We will begin with a morning hike, to familiarize you with the trails we will be taking. Next will be breakfast. Afterward we've got new campers arriving. After that—will be a surprise." Hunter began walking towards the bottom of a grassy hill, whose trail wound up into dense foliage.

"I hope you dressed appropriately." With a smile she pressed on.

XXX

The boys seemed to lag behind the group, and the girls were keeping up with Hunter easily. Her high heels seemed to be actually helping more than hindering up in the rocky mountain trails.

"Take in everything around you! The smells, the pokemon, the sights! If you want to be a pokemon ranger, trainer, coordinator, whatever, the first step is becoming one with nature." Hunter touched an odd looking flower and its petals opened to reveal a nest of Oddish living there.

"So this morning, your challenge is to capture one pokemon. If any pair comes back with the same pokemon as another pair, then you have failed the challenge. You have until 8:00! Take these pokeballs and pick a partner!" Tarkov produced a basket of purple pokeballs which seemed to have been conjured from thin air.

Talia and Jessica grabbed a pokeball and ran into the woods, following Alex and Mark's lead. Behind them were the twins, fighting over who held the pokeball first. Riley moved over to Kai and snaked his arm around her waist—receiving a curt kick in the shin.

"Grab the pokeball and let's go." She ordered.

Maria and Tyler shared a look, shrugged, and became a team. They headed the complete opposite direction from everyone else. This seemed like a good idea to Emily and Zach who followed suit.

This left Kame and Hiro.

Hiro gave Kame an inviting smirk and the fifteen year old felt a bit uneasy. Hiro was a bit intimidating to begin with, as his eyes threw everyone off, but his entire ensemble completed the untouchable sense about him.

"Well, time is running out, right?" Hiro said.

Kame nodded and grabbed the last pokeball. They advanced through the trees rather slowly, as neither trainer could tell how close branches or rocks or roots were. But what Kame found most interesting was whenever Hiro was about to hit something from his left side, Jolteon let out a cry, and Hiro would avoid it. Kame guessed his pokemon were almost like seeing-eye-dogs.

Hiro stopped running suddenly.

"What is it? What do you see?" Kame asked loudly. Hiro 'shh'd' her and walked into a patch of dense bushes. His hand stuck out from the leaves and beckoned her forward.

When Kame looked inside her eye was immediately drawn downward. In a giant crater below them lived hundreds of forest pokemon. Caterpie, Pidgey, Butterfree, Pinsir, Venonat, you name it. Hiro smirked and pulled a pokemon from his belt.

"Let's go." He whispered, tossing the pokeball onto the grass before him. With a monstrous roar Hiro's Torterra emerged.

Kame drew back in fear—the tortoise was colossal, and its branches almost impaled her on the spot. Hiro jumped on Torterra's back and looked at his partner.

"C'mon Kame. We haven't got a lotta time." Kame took his cold hand and lifted herself onto his Torterra. Hiro moved her so she was right in front of Hiro, and he put his arms around her whenever Torterra moved.

_"Don't freak out Kame—don't freak out! Just because this totally hot pokemon trainer is protecting you doesn't mean you gotta get all girly on yourself!" _

While Kame was having a miniature freak-out within the confines of her mind—Hiro had managed to catch a Pidgeot. After releasing the bird to thank it, it spread its massive wings and bowed its feathered head to Hiro. Hiro nodded in appreciation and returned the bird to its pokeball.

"Woah, that was amazing! Most of the pokemon I catch don't even listen to me after I call them out for the first time!" Kame marveled, making no effort to conceal her impressed state.

Hiro shrugged and smiled, returning Torterra and releasing Charizard.

"Let's get back to camp, shall we?"

XXX

"Okay Mark. Venomoth or Beedrill?" Alex whispered, readjusting her position from her leafy perch.

Mark gave no answer and tossed a pokeball onto the ground. It rolled for a few seconds until it flashed, revealing the pokemon within.

"Okay, Dark, try and reason with them!" Dark gave Mark an incredulous look, and the Honckrow approached the forest pokemon.

"That's not going to work! Tails, let's go!" Alex's Ninetales leapt before the pokemon and crouched into an offensive stance. The Beedrill fanned its waxy wings and buzzed angrily.

"Flamethrower, Tails!" A stream of fire engulfed the Beedrill and its buzzing seemed to be amplified through the fire's heat. It attacked relentlessly with poison sting.

"All right Tails, let's use bite!" The Ninetales tackled the bug pokemon and pinned it to the floor, sinking its jaws into the bee's neck. It buzzed a few more times before fainting.

Alex dropped from the tree and tapped the purple ball against Beedrill's back.

"Easier said than done." Mark growled, returning Dark and heading back to camp.

XXX

Waiting in the high boughs of a sequoia tree, two trainers surveyed the forest floor below.

"Tony, how about those Butterfree?" Rey asked, releasing his Ampharos. The pokemon leapt rather clumsily from branch to branch, making its way to the Butterfree.

"No, No! Venomoth, over there! They're more rare!" Tony let his Xatu loose and the bird circled above the Venomoth like a vulture. Rey punched his brother and Tony teetered dangerously on his branch.

"Rey you friggin ass! Push me again and I'll shove you out of the friggin tree!"

Rey stuck up his hands and pretended to shove his brother. Tony snarled low in his throat.

Suddenly, a flock of Fearow and Spearow fled through the trees, and a Fearow let loose a loud, piercing cry right next to Tony's ears. He cried out and clutched them in agony, losing consciousness. Rey watched in horror as his brother began to fall through the foliage.

"Crap, ohh my god! HELP!" Rey shouted, scrambling down the bark to desperately assist his best friend.

"Magnezone! Save Tony!" Rey's Magnezone swooped through the brush and turned on its magnetic power. Tony's heavily studded belt yanked him to a stop and he soon began to rise. Once he was in Magnezone's grasp Rey completed the climb down and (with effort) caught a Venomoth. His red eyes softened in relief and the small group began their trek to camp.

XXX

The bell blared over the PA system, and even up in the forest Tarkov's voice could be heard.

_"COME BACK TO CAMP YOU MAGGOTS! BRING YOUR POKEMON AND YOUR DIGNITY!" _

Hunter lined all the campers up once more and collected the pokeballs.

Hiro and Kame went first, releasing their Pidgeot, who nuzzled Hiro's fohawk affectionately. After them came Alex and Mark, who produced their Beedrill with smirks. Rey showed the group their Venomoth, and Tony was whisked away by Hunter to be cared for, and with defeated frowns Zach and Emily returned an empty pokeball.

Talia and Jessica displayed an abnormally large Pinsir, and Riley and Kai brought a Weedle. Tarkov rolled his eyes yet took the pokemon. Tyler and Maria made use with a Metapod.

"Really, Maria? A Metapod? I thought someone as good looking as you would bring back something more…exotic." Riley had crept behind the dark-skinned girl and cooed in her ear.

"First of all, you sicko, it's Magden. _Don't call me Maria. _And secondly! YOU brought back a _Weedle."_ Magden folded her arms across her chest and Riley shrugged.

"Colorful woman, colorful language." Hiro winked, and Magden moved to slap him. But this was the wrong move. Hiro quickly dodged and grabbed her wrist.

"Please don't slap me. Anything else. But do. Not. Slap. Me. Thank you." Hiro walked away from an astonished Magden and a confused Riley.

XXX

The mess hall was similar to a large cabin, with high, sloping ceilings and wooden surfaces adorning every inch of space. The counselors and cooks had lined up long tables of food, ranging from scrambled eggs to freshly baked muffins. Everything smelled delicious. Once everyone had sampled the buffet and sat down to eat, Madgen approached the table where Hiro was sitting.

"I'm really sorry about earlier—I didn't realize—" She stammered.

Hiro looked up from his book—a collection of Shakespearean plays—and shook his head.

"It's okay, Magden. You had no idea how it would affect me. There's no way you could've guessed that." He was very gracious and Magden found this surprising for such a flirt.

He sipped his black coffee and continued, "My Aunt beat me and abused me all of my life, and she went about that by slapping my face. So obviously this is a sore subject." The matter-of-fact tone in his voice made it difficult to believe what Hiro said.

Yet Magden could only nod, embarrassed at her lack of tact. But she swallowed her pride and sat down.

Hiro raised a brow and resumed reading without a word.

XXX

With a flurry of black hair and violet eyes, Kai stormed into the mess hall. Upon spotting her target, she broke into a run.

"AHHHH!"

Kai had barreled headfirst into Riley's stomach. The tall boy fell to the ground hard, and Kai sat on his chest, pinning his arms with her knees.

"Give it back." She hissed.

"What are you talking about?" Riley groaned, trying (futilely) to wriggle free.

"My bra! It's missing. And my bag smells like you!" She dug her knees into his biceps a little harder. Everyone who was eating breakfast stopped to watch the carnage.

The guilt-ridden smile on Riley's face was evident now, and soon laughter began to erupt from his muscular chest.

"Okay. Okay. But here's a hint: It's hidden somewhere that starts with "P" and ends with "ants."

Kai wound up and punched him in the gut.

"Wanna try again?" She taunted. Riley plunged his hand into his jeans and pulled out the black-laced garment. With a furious blush, Kai left the mess hall, leaving a bruised Riley on the floor.

XXX

"All right campers! Formation Alpha! New campers are arriving in t-minus three minutes!" Tarkov checked the watch on his wrist, then the sun, then his watch again and nodded in approval.

Soon a small group, about seven people, walked up the hill and into the campgrounds. They were lead by a young man whose Yanmega flew above him. The man in question had piercing black eyes, lovely pale skin, and spiky black hair. He wore a navy blue vest over an orange and white striped shirt. His jeans were worn, indicative of someone who has "been around the block." When he approached Tarkov they shared an intense handshake and Tarkov ordered the new campers in line.

"Attention campers! This is another counselor that you will obey unconditionally, and his name is Cameron Torvenal!" Tarkov roared.

Cameron stepped forward and waved to the campers.

"There are twenty campers now, and you all will work together to make yourselves the best you can be. And I'm here to make sure you all achieve your dreams." Cameron smiled.

One of the new boys rolled his amber eyes. He was about 6'2" and ran a hand through his messy red hair. He wore a red sleeveless hoodie, grey shorts and grey shoes with flames on the sides. His entire attitude screamed annoyed.

"Did you get that off the back of a greeting card?" He muttered under his breath. But to the trained ear, Tarkov heard this snide remark.

"What did you say, camper?" He snarled, getting right in his face and poking him in the chest.

"I said, did you get that off the back of a greeting card?" His tone was mocking, with the breath of a challenge within it.

The vein on Tarkov's forehead bulged, and his face grew a dangerous shade of red.

"600 PUSHUPS! IF THEY AREN'T DONE BY THE END OF THE WEEK YOU GET 600 MORE!"

Never had Emily heard anyone scream so loud. But as she watched the one sided yelling match between Tarkov and the boy soon to be known as Daisuke Nakamura, her brain seemed to go into a fog. When did she ever find rude, obnoxious boys attractive? She's been repulsed by Zach for the past few days, so why is Daisuke any different? Everything from the cross necklace around his neck to that anarchist smile—Emily was mesmerized. It was something she couldn't—and frankly didn't want to—explain.

XXX

The moon shone bright over Camp Catchem'all, and the campers sat around an enormous campfire, which was being stoked by Alex's Blaze. Every camper was exhausted due to Tarkov's and Hunter's rigorous training, which involved a two hour class on pokemon biology, multiple sets of pushups and sit-ups, and battling.

Some of the campers (the non nocturnal ones) had already turned in for the night. This included Talia, a new girl named Sariana Iralla, some trainer named Berane Dimonis, Jessica and Magden, Zach, and the Delafuentes. This left Hiro, Riley, "AC", Tyler, Daisuke, Mark, Alex, Kame, Kaiya, Emily, and a new face named Venice.

"Anyone got any good ghost stories?" Riley prompted, inching closer to Kai, who automatically shoved him off of the log.

"No, Riley. No one wants to hear any scary stories!" Kai growled, and she moved over to sit near the attractive-yet-reserved James Curtis. Even sitting he was tall, and dark brown hair (in need of a haircut) almost concealed icy blue-grey eyes. Two scars ran down his cheek and down his neck. He wore a black jacket, a white sleeveless shirt, and around his neck was a zephyr badge.

Kai looked him up and down twice, and James squirmed uncomfortably.

"Okay, can everyone relax? How about we play a game?" The suggestive tone Hiro's voice took quieted the bunch immediately. He smirked and continued to tune his guitar.

"What game?" Tyler asked impatiently.

"Hm…Truth or Dare?" Emily suggested. The group agreed and Emily started.

"Daisuke. Truth or Dare?" She asked.

"Dare, of course." His vivacious stare sent shivers down Emily's spine. She contemplated for a moment.

"You have to go skinny dipping when we reach a campsite with a lake."

Daisuke was startled for a moment but tried to cover it with a scoff. Emily was not fooled. There was no way she'd let him out of this one.

"Okay then, my turn I guess. Alex, truth or dare?"

"Truth." She replied instantly.

"Who do you think is the most attractive out of all the people sitting here? The guys, obviously."

Every male subconsciously leaned towards Alex, eager for her answer.

Alex glanced sideways at Mark and blushed furiously.

"No one. You're all ugly!" Alex ran from the campfire, trying to conceal her embarrassment. In a fit of protection Blaze followed and the fire extinguished.

"Good one, assholes." Mark stood up and Sarah, his Empoleon, ruffled her feathers angrily. The pair followed Alex into the woods.

"Moving on then..?" The awkward hanging sentence sent everyone into a fit of tension-relieving giggles. Kame cleared her throat and everyone hushed.

"Hiro…truth or dare?"

Hiro looked up from his guitar and smiled at her.

"Truth." His eyes were playful.

"How did you go blind?"

The smile disappeared from his face instantly, and his eyes held no trace of the happiness they paraded a moment earlier.

"It was a long time ago," Hiro began. "My family and I were taking a trip from Celadon to Vermilion City—we were on our way to the S.S. Anne for a cruise. But it was really late that night, and my sister took off her seatbelt so she could sleep more comfortably. On the way down…" He broke off and swallowed a lump in his throat before he continued. "We rounded a sharp corner and this truck lost control. It smashed up onto the windshield and crushed my parents. My sister was thrown out of the windshield before I could even blink. And the glass from the front window plunged into my left eye. The doctors said it was a miracle I survived—let alone having virtually no other injuries. They fixed my scars but they couldn't save my eye."

Hiro pointed to the cloudy blue eye that did not see. Its entire surface was pale, and although it moved with his right eye, it was obvious all vision had been lost.

"So…that's how I went blind and lost my family." Hiro hung his head low and began to breathe quickly.

"God will you stop moping about your tragic past? So your family died, big deal! You're alive, aren't you? Can't you appreciate that?" Anthony James Carter (better known as "AC") quipped.

Everyone's mouth opened with a simultaneous 'pop.' They'd never witnessed such blatant insensitivity.

"What? What is everyone looking at? I just think life is better lived in the present! Don't you think, babe?" He winked at Venice and she turned away in disgust.

"You know what, asshole? Maybe I draw strength from my past! Maybe it makes this—" He pointed to his eye. "More livable!"

AC glared.

"Maybe you just can't appreciate your life, and all you do is complain!" He growled.

This pushed Hiro over the edge.

"I'm not complaining! If you haven't noticed, I NEVER talk about my eye unless someone asks! Maybe it's the fact that you're being a total prick for no reason! Maybe it's the fact that I'm actually _jealous_ of you, because you've got family that loves you, you've got your entire vision, and you're here because you want to be, not because you haven't got anywhere else to go!"

AC came close to Hiro's face.

"I don't like you," He began. "You're bipolar."

"Oh, so I've known you a total of about five hours, and you already have judgments about me? Wonderful." The sarcasm was so thick that it dripped from his words rapidly.

"Can we stop, please? AC, just because some people have it tough doesn't mean you have to attack them. And Hiro, we all know you're not bipolar, and I know that it's tough not being able to see." Kame's voice was small yet sure as she touched her bandaged eye.

"I say we settle this now." AC taunted. He was always up for another challenge.

Hiro gritted his teeth and nodded.

"Three on Three."

Suddenly things were getting interesting.

XXX

Beneath the full moon, the C.C. campers trekked through one of the smaller paths and up to the battling ring. The flat plateau jutted over the cave of Mt. Moon, and the lights of Pewter City were visible on the horizon. Overall, an ultimate battle ground.

Venice offered to call the match, and she stepped to the referee's podium tentatively.

"Gallah! Light the torches!" Venice's Rapidash lit the torches surrounding the ring and bleachers quickly, and afterward she was returned to her pokeball.

"All right! On the left side we have AC from Vermillion City! And on the right, Hiro Taminama from Celadon! The battle will be three on three with free substitution! The battle will not end until every pokemon of one side has fainted! Begin!"

AC threw a pokeball in the air.

"Magby! Let's go!" AC's Magmar erupted from the pokeball with a spew of lava. It was quite intimidating. Hiro countered with a pokeball of his own.

A tiny blue pokemon stood at attention, and bursts of laughter came from the stands.

Hiro had called out his Mudkip.

AC looked hesitant for a moment, but demanded a flamethrower from his partner. The fire billowed and headed straight for the pokemon.

"Mudkip! Dodge and use Hydro Pump!" The tiny creature leapt over the inferno and drenched AC's pokemon. Magby was significantly weakened but wasn't out yet.

"Lava plume!" A wave of scarlet flames injured Mudkip and it cried out. Magby retreated with a smirk.

"Mudkip! Use Hydro Pump again!" The torrent felled Magby and it collapsed before an enraged AC.

"Magby, return! Crobat, let's show them how we fight!" The Crobat in question let out a shriek so terrifying, Mudkip flinched.

"Supersonic, Crobat!" The piercing cries rendered Hiro's Mudkip useless, and it struggled so fervently Hiro called him back.

"Ready to give up, Taminama?" AC sneered.

"I'm winning, you idiot."

At this truth AC growled in frustration.

Hiro pulled another pokemon and chuckled.

"Let's go, Flareon!" Hiro's companion snarled and leapt into the ring. Crobat circled above its opponent, its leathery wings slicing through the night air. Flareon crouched low, and began to follow the Crobat's movements.

"Crobat, use bite!" AC ordered.

Crobat dove, surprisingly fast, and sunk its jaws into Flareon's flank. The pokemon did not cry out or even flinch. In response Flareon flipped Crobat onto its back and pinned its wings to the floor. It thrashed wildly.

"Fire fang!" Flareon's mouth began to glow and its teeth became immersed in fire. It bit Crobat right in the jugular, and Crobat screeched. The sound hurt Flareon's sensitive ears and it jumped off of Crobat. The bat pokemon attacked—unprompted—with an aerial ace. Flareon got hit dead on and its head slammed into the ground.

"Get up, Flareon! You can do it!" Hiro encouraged. Flareon staggered from its head injury and tried to shake it off.

"Hyper Beam, Crobat!" The flying pokemon gathered energy in its mouth and began to charge.

"You too, Flareon!" The twin hyperbeams met in the middle and both pokemon were thrown backwards. When the dust cleared, both pokemon had fainted.

"Draw!" Venice declared. "Hiro is still in the lead!"

AC pulled out his last pokeball and held it to his lips.

"Please, Sandslash, don't let me down." He rolled the pokeball into the ring and she emerged with a calm expression. She flexed the spines on her back and crouched in an offensive stance.

Hiro whistled low and Jolteon leapt into the ring.

"Psh! An electric type versus a ground type? Good luck with that!" AC taunted.

Jolteon let loose a chilling cry and it raised the hair on everyone's neck. The crowd had a feeling AC would eat his words.

"Sandlash! Use Fury Swipes!"

"Dodge it, and use Quick Attack!" Jolteon shot from where he stood and the only proof of his movement was the static electricity he left behind. Sandslash cut open air and looked around, confused. Jolteon collided with the sandy pholidote and pinned it to the floor.

"Is that all your pokemon know how to do? Pin mine to the ground? Use slash!" Jolteon's face became covered in puckered red scars and it sneezed repeatedly, trying to free his nose of blood.

"End it, Jolt! Use Iron Tail!" Jolteon threw Sandslash into the air and leapt above it, returning a crippling strike onto her spine. Sandslash collided with the dirt and was half-buried from the impact.

"That's how it's done." Hiro smirked, and walked out to care for his Jolteon. He pulled something from his pocket and gently rubbed it onto Jolteon's face. When he finished the electric canine licked his hand in thanks. AC returned Sandslash and walked over to Hiro.

"That was pretty impressive, Taminama." The statement seemed forced.

"You too, I've never had anyone knock out Flareon before. You're a good trainer." Hiro stuck out his hand and AC gripped it tightly.

"Truce?"

"Truce."

XXX

The campers all returned to their cabins, exhausted from the day and the exciting events of the night. But as they retreated inside and the grounds became quiet, a lone figure perched on the roof of the mess hall. At the figure's side sat a Zangoose, who eyed the campers' pokemon with a gleaming gaze.

"Not now, Zara. Just wait. Our prey will be obtainable soon enough." With a chuckle the figure retreated off of the roof and into the night.

XXX

**A/N: so there's the story! Please review and let me know what you think, give advice or ideas, whatever! Thanks for all the OC submissions and I'll try my best to get equal representation! Keep reading! Love, Katie **


	4. Mt Moon: Just Another Excuse To Flirt

**Whaddup children. I'm under the impression that people are liking things, so I'm going to continue. Please PM or leave a review telling me what you think! PS, I'm starting to get guy heavy, so if you're submitting an OC, bring on the ladies! Thanks!**

**Love, Katie **

**XXX**

Story Start:

Another foghorn burst the eardrums of the campers—before sunrise this time.

"_ALL CAMPERS MEET IN THE RECREATIONAL HALL IN TEN MINUTES! ANYONE WHO IS LATE WILL BE SEVERELY PUNISHED AND OR HUMILIATED_."

In the girls' cabins, the morning got off to a rocky start.

"Where is my curling iron?" Talia's orange eyes were filled with tears and her half-curly hair was a tangled mess.

Alex tried to help her brush the golden locks but ended up snapping the bristles within her tresses. Kame and Kai also tried styling Talia's hair—yet nothing the girls attempted seemed to help.

"Sari? Have you seen the iron?" Emily had noticed that Sari's usually frizzy hairstyle was smooth, and the knotted mess of hair she normally sported had been curled to perfection.

"No, why would I have seen anything of hers? What am I, her mother?" The unprompted hatred rolled out of her mouth and slapped Talia in the face. The tiny pokemon coordinator began to cry harder.

"Sari, since when has your hair ever been brushed, let alone curled?" Kai stood from the vanity and walked over to the self-absorbed girl.

"Kai, since when have you ever looked, or dressed, like a girl?" Kai's mouth opened in shock and she looked down at her attire. She was wearing a comfortable grey t-shirt, and loose black boys' basketball shorts. Her outfit was completed with practical black sneakers.

"I think you stole Talia's curling iron!" She accused, walking straight over to Sari's bunk and to her duffel bag. It was relatively empty except for multiple crop tops, and low cut pants, similar to the outfit Sariana "Sari" Iralla was wearing. In a small container held multiple belly button rings, and her black and red gloves were beneath pairs of red and black shoes.

"Get away from my stuff, you little bit—"

"Would you like to finish that sentence, Miss Iralla?" A stern female voice came from the doorway. Hunter had entered with Teddiursa trailing behind her.

"This brat is going through my bag!" She whined, stamping her foot and making her navel piercing shake.

"I've looked up your record, Sari. It's not impressive. Juvenile Hall twice? Bad grades? So if you've taken anything I highly recommend you return it before things get ugly." Teddiursa punctuated Hunter's threat with a growl, and Sari's eyes grew wide.

"I only borrowed it, okay? Besides, it should belong to me, anyway." Sari's voice was shrill and obnoxious, and she threw the hot iron at Talia, who caught it with a howl of pain.

"Wrong choice, Iralla. You're coming with me." Sari laughed and ran the other way. Teddiursa sprung from its spot and landed on Sari, who fell with a rather loud thud.

"Jesus! How heavy is this thing?" Teddiursa had pinned Sari to the hardwood floor with only one paw.

"Teddiursa weighs one hundred and eighty pounds. Don't be fooled by his size." The bear snickered at his trainer's remark. Iralla was swept away to the counseling building, followed by an angry hunter. Talia's Chingling chimed merrily, trying desperately to cheer its master. Talia gave her pokemon a sad smile as she bandaged her burnt hand.

"That beezy is insane." Kai remarked, and everyone shared an astonished glance before giggling.

XXX

"Good morning ladies! So glad you could be _LATE_!" Tarkov's last word was screamed and the females involuntarily flinched.

"This morning will be an evaluation of the trainers you are—and the trainers you will become. We will be looking over your pokemon and watching your dynamics with them. By lunchtime you will be categorized into levels by age and skill—and you will train in these levels until you are ready to progress. Is this okay?" Cameron pulled a clipboard out of his pack and handed it to his Yanmega.

"Release your pokemon and line them up!" Tarkov released his powerhouse team and needless to say—the campers were intimidated.

The campers expected some tough pokemon—but nothing like this. Tarkov sported a Nidoking and a Nidoqueen, a monstrous Rhyhorn, and an electrifying Electabuzz. It was trying to stop a wrestling match between his Golem and his Machamp. At the stomp of his foot, they all fell in line and waited for directions from their master.

"These are my pokemon, who have been my original team for the majority of my life. These pokemon are en extension of my own body, my mind, and everything that I am. There's no separating us." Another side of Tarkov, the kind and sensitive and compassionate side, was revealed just then. Just another surprise, it seemed, to the shocked campers.

"Ladies first! Martino, roll call!" Talia threw a handful of pink pokeballs in the air and when their brilliance faded, six pokemon were in an immaculate line.

Talia beamed at her Chingling, who was her closest companion. It jingled happily and brought a smile to the Glameow next to it. Beside her was Talia's Misdreaveous, whose spectral glow seemed to illuminate the room. A Beautifly shook its shiny wings and sent sparkles showering over Talia's Goldeen. And lastly, cowering behind Glameow was a timid Igglybuff. Its large red eyes looked around in fear. Talia looked to Tarkov tentatively, and after a moment he nodded.

"Too girly for my taste—but overall a good team! What's your ambition, Martino?"

"A coordinator." She replied, smoothing Chingling's ribbons.

Tarkov smiled, actually smiled, and dismissed her to the coordinator's table. Talia returned her team with a grin and skipped away.

Alex stepped up to the podium next, and from her backpack emerged Blaze, White, Snow, Tails, Water, and Thunder. The Infernape, Togekiss, Glaceon, Ninetales, Floatzel, and Pikachu created an eclectic ensemble of fighters. Tarkov labeled her a trainer and Alex retreated to the appropriate table.

Next up to the plate was Kame, who nervously showed Tarkov her Swablu, Meganium, Mightyena, and Vulpix. Cameron nodded approvingly and placed her at the trainer's table. With a relieved grin she joined Alex and they began to talk excitedly.

"Cooper, let's see 'em." Tarkov tapped his foot as Jessica sported a Gallade, an Electabuzz, a Cubone, a Skarmony, a Golduck and a Growlithe. Upon being asked what she aspired to be, she instantly answered, "A pokemon ranger."  
Tarkov looked extremely impressed and sent her to the Ranger table.

"Wait, there's a Ranger table?" Alex gasped and quickly scurried to the table in question. Jessica laughed and gave her a high-five.

Magden strutted to the stage and released her team. Her team consisted of a Rhydon named Quake, a Feraligatr named Hydro, a Skarmony named Screech, a Breloom named Mach, a Raichu named Surge, and her companion Hakumei (A Dusknoir). Magden, without order, sat at the trainer table with a confident smirk.

"What a woman!" Riley cheered, and Hiro clapped him on the back in approval. Kai looked over with a hurt glare and Magden rolled her eyes at the womanizers' antics.

Kai, eager to get away from the split second of pain, called out her partners.

"Houndoom, let's go! Electrike, Buizel, and Absol, you too!"

Tarkov labeled her a trainer and she returned her team, except for Houndoom, who sat close to her master with protective eyes. Emily and Venice were the last two girls to present.

"Delcatty, Blazekin, Espeon, Miltank, Dewgong, Misdreaveous! I choose you!" Emily was dubbed a trainer and chatted animatedly with Magden.

"Boss! Monley! Cait! Deceit! Gallah! Blaster!" Venice's Ursaring, Hitmonlee, Espeon, Scyther, Rapidash, and Blastoise posed impressively. Venice strode over to the trainer's table after prompting from Tarkov.

"Ladies. An outstanding display!" Tarkov boomed.

"I'll say." Hiro pointed to Alex, who had bent over to pick up her Pikachu. During the motion her cleavage was visible. Riley's smile turned into a wicked grin.

"Shut up!" Mark had overheard Hiro's comment and punched him in the shoulder.

"Woah, calm down! I didn't mean anything by it!" Hiro stuck up his hands in defense.

"_No one _talks about Alex that way. _Ever." _Hiro rubbed his chin. There was matchmaking to be done.

XXX

"Pearl! Since you seem so eager, why don't you show us what you've got! I've heard you're an aspiring Ranger." Mark nodded in response and stepped forward. He caught Alex's gaze for a split second, and she smiled in encouragement.

"C'mon out!" Mark released Sarah, his most trusted Empoleon, Dark the Honckrow, Leaf the Leafeon, Rex the Arcanine, Blade the Lucario, and Sparky the Electabuzz. He moved quickly to the ranger table and sat close to Alex.

Riley stood up, adjusted his flannel, and leapt onto the stage.

"You look like you're going nowhere, Hansen, so maybe you can impress me." Tarkov said.

Riley plunged his hand into his pants and pulled out a small black pouch. On the pouch was one single flame, and within it were a handful of orange pokeballs.

"I train fire pokemon, Tarkov, so let's see if you're impressed." A ferocious Typhlosion stood protective over a Torchic, an Arcanine, and a Ninetales. Flying above the fray was a black Charizard, and standing silently was his Rapidash. Tarkov's face was like stone, but he clapped slowly and sent him to the trainer table.

Daisuke came next, and assembled in a poor excuse of a line were his pokemon. Ninetales, the most graceful, sat at attention, watching Daisuke's Munchlax try to consume the wooden floor. A Pachirisu and a Kelceon yawned; obviously bored, and the Banette zipped and unzipped its mouth a million times over. A sharpedo was laying on the floor lamely, its body virtually useless out of water. Daisuke walked to the Ranger table and sat down. From the trainer's side, Emily looked crestfallen. Were her chances of training with this anarchist hunk over?

Cameron coaxed the extremely shy Berane Dimonis up on stage, and he tried to hide behind his wind-swept white hair. Berane was tall, like most of the other male campers, and towered at 6'6". His left eye was grey and his right was blue, and what looked like a burn scar wrapped around his tan cheek and into the collar of his grey t-shirt. He wore a black sleeveless hoodie over his clothes, and on his hands were two different gloves: one with a wolf's head, the other a dragon's. He seemed reserved, distant, and insecure. But he mustered up the courage to release his pokemon, which consisted of Caleb, a shiny Lucario, Alendra, his trusted Umbreon, and Radone, an Espeon. Next to them was Angelice, Berane's Garchomp, and Halan, the sentinel Blaziken. Tarkov said nothing as he sat next to Talia at the coordinator table. She smiled warmly at him and Berane looked away.

AC came next, and showed his battle worn Magmar, his serene Sandslash, and the chilling Crobat. After him came James Curtis, who brushed the hair from his scarred face before releasing his Typhlosion Blaze, the rambunctious Rampardos Dino, Sabre the Gallade, Jet the Garchomp, Razor the Luxray, and his Gliscor named Claw. James did not wait for orders or wait for applause like the others, but rushed to the trainer table, sitting far away from the others. In his opinion, the number of trainers was too big for his taste, and he craved a smaller setting.

The Delafuentes came together, and Anthony stood tall next to a peaceful Miltank, a Chimecho who was full of energy, a Blissey who was looking over a childish Cleffa. Standing off to the side was a conceited Vileplume and an emotionless Xatu. Rey came next and sported his trusty Magnezone, who buzzed loudly to make the other pokemon behave. The Manectric became quiet quickly, but did not hesitate to terrorize the timid Ampharos next to it. To make it stop, his electrode and Elekid shocked Manectric, and within moments the team had fallen into an electric eruption.

Tarkov's Nidoqueen roared at the pokemon, who humbled themselves instantly, and with a great deal of embarrassment he walked to the training table. Anthony dubbed himself a breeder and sat alone.

"Rikel! Plink! Ambria! Sonic! Gyra! Solu!" Tyler had hurriedly let his team loose in hopes of topping the competition. Just as confident and cocky as their master, the Luxray, Bronzor, Vaporeon, Sandslash, Riolu, and Absol smirked at the other campers.

Lastly was Hiro, who stood quietly, waiting for orders from Tarkov. He looked around the hall and caught Kame's eye. Hiro winked his blue eye and Kame blushed a furious shade of scarlet. Hiro laughed quietly and threw his pokeballs into the air with no announcement.

Jolteon already sat in line, and waited the arrival of his comrades. Charizard roared belligerently and landed behind the tiny yellow dog, followed by the hovering Drifloon, who inflated with happiness at the sight of her trainer. Hiro's Torterra moved in place next, and it shook its leaves in a display of toughness. The vicious-yet-loyal Flareon nodded at his trainer, and made room for the chipper Mudkip. Hunter entered the room then—with Teddiursa restraining Sari. Hiro looked at her and turned his nose up in disgust. The on looking crowd was confused—since when has Hiro ever _not _treated a woman with downright infatuation?

XXX

"This camper is a criminal, Tarkov. I'm requesting her removal immediately." Hunter's voice was extremely angry and Teddiursa sensed her master's discomfort. The bear growled loudly and Sari flinched.

Tarkov approached Sari and got in her face.

"What makes you think you can act the way you've been acting? Or treating other campers with disrespect? Do you have any decency?" Tarkov did not scream or shout. His voice stayed low and filled with disappointment. The change in tempo was a warning, and it seemed to frighten the campers into silence. Sari shrugged and spat in Tarkov's face. Daisuke cheered loudly and Tarkov's Nidoking roared. Daisuke shut up once more.

"That's it. I'm calling your parents, and you've got solitary confinement until they _PICK YOUR WORTHLESS CARCASS UP FROM MY CAMP_!" The yelling was back, and the grimace on Sari's face told the other campers that it wouldn't be over for a while.

XXX

Later that day, at lunch, the campers were assigned temporary partners.

"For the remainder of the day and night, you will be pitted against yourselves and nature! Every camper will be paired with another, and will be sent down into Mt. Moon. There your assignment will be to demonstrate resourcefulness and survive the night. The only things you will be given are a gallon of water and the use of your pokemon. I suggest you meet with your partner and plan accordingly. Has anyone ever explored the confines of the cave extensively?" Cameron looked around, half-hoping that someone would raise their hand.

"No sir, the only time I've been in Mt. Moon was the illuminated trail from Pewter to Cerulean." AC declared, and the other Kanto natives agreed.

"Perfect! Because we're fencing off the illuminated trail, and sending you deeper that some pre-determined path!" The smile that graced Hunter's face was wicked, and she began to couple off the campers.

"Boy-girl? Or same gender? Or mixed?" She was thoughtful, but decided to keep the order random.

"Talia and Berane, Riley and Kai, Emily and Daisuke, Alex and Mark, Hiro and Kame, James and Venice, the Delafuentes, Jessica and Tyler, and Magden and AC."

The twins high-fived, cooperating instead of fighting. Talia flashed an innocent smile at Berane, whose heartbeat began to quicken. Kai, despite Riley's earlier promiscuity, was secretly please that Riley was her partner. Alex and Mark shared a relieved glance, and James tried his best to avoid eye contact with Venice. Too much human contact could equal disaster. Jessica and Tyler shook hands and began to converse while Magden and AC began a competitive arm wrestling match. Kame sat next to Hiro, who leaned down to smile in her face.

"Uhhh…personal space?" The words were out of Kame's mouth before she could realize it, and she almost clapped her hand over her lips. She inhaled slowly and her head swam—whatever cologne Hiro was wearing—it was definitely working. His scent filled her brain and made her thoughts fuzzy.

"You're cute, Kame. Don't change." Hiro whispered in her ear. Hiro scooted away promptly and resumed eating his lunch. Kame, too shocked to move, could only stare at her plate. On the tin surface was an array of fried dumplings, steamed rice, and a bowl of udon.

To find an excuse to avoid responding to Hiro's compliment, Kame began shoveling the food into her mouth. After the eighth mouthful Kame could hardly breathe. She looked up from her lunch to see Rey pulling an udon noodle out of his nose and through the other nostril, suspending a dumpling on the strand. Kame's sudden urge to laugh sent the mass of food out of her mouth and over the table. Mortified, Kame stood up and ran from the room.

No one seemed to notice, however, because Anthony clapped Rey on the back and sent the noodle out his nose, with a few inches left inside. Anthony's twin began to sneeze repeatedly, and with each exhalation another inch of noodle came out. It was enough to send everyone into a fit of laughter, and was enough to prevent anyone from realizing Kame had left. Except for Hiro. He ran after her and found Kame sitting on the roof of Cabin 3 with a red face and swollen eyes.

"Kame?" Hiro called.

She shrunk away and retreated further up the roof. Kame's Vulpix growled in defense—it was clear that it didn't want Hiro here. But Kame hushed her companion and answered him.

"What do you want?"

Hiro frowned and began to climb the side of the cabin. Only once did his footing falter, and Kame was at the edge of the roof in an instant. She grasped his cold hand and helped him up.

"Thanks, Kame. Why are you crying?" Hiro sat her down and sat extremely close to her. Kame's breathing quickened once more and she had to relax before she answered.

"Did you not see me spit my food out all over the table? The entire room saw!" Her blush reddened and she hung her head in shame. Hiro shook his head and smiled.

"Kame, you are so wrong. No one saw you but me, and frankly, it was funny. I don't think you're gross. I don't think you're weird. There's nothing to worry about. Everyone was staring at Rey's freaky nose trick. I promise." He grasped her hand and his cool touch made her jump.

"Don't be scared, Kame. No one's here to judge you, okay?" Despite the crazy pandemonium taking place in her heart, the rest of Kame (the sane side) began to relax.

"Should we start planning for tonight?" Kame suggested, scooting away and to the lip of the cabin.

Hiro nodded and helped Kame to the ground.

"Promise not to spit food on me?" Hiro teased, and Kame shoved him lightly.

XXX

"Alex, maybe you should wear shirts that are..less revealing." Mark had mustered up the courage (for about 10 minutes) to be able to say this to his friend. Alex dropped her spoon and gave Mark an odd look.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" She asked, and upon examining her blue t-shirt she found no faults. There was a small tear in her icy blue skirt, but this wasn't noticeable unless one was really looking. With a confused stare, she repeated her question.

"N-nothing!" Mark replied. "It's just that, sometimes, when you lean forward, _'twantthemlookingatyou_!" Alex waited a few moments to try and decipher the oral vomit that Mark just spewed. Once it dawned on her she gasped.

"They were looking down my shirt?" Enraged, she stood and marched straight up to Riley.

"You creep! If I _ever_ catch you starting at my chest again, I swear to sweet Giratina I will stick my foot so far up your ass you will be _TASTING THESE BLACK BOOTS_!" She kicked out his chair for emphasis and Riley found himself in greeting with the floor once more.

"What did I do? Hiro was the one who pointed it out! I just enjoyed looki—"

Alex stomped on his foot.

"—I mean, _ow_."

XXX

"So. You. Me. _The dark." _AC had slid in close to Magden, who was currently picking at the rhinestones on her silver tanktop.

"Sounds invigorating." She replied.

"Is that supposed to be sarcasm, because babe, you know I'm nothing but true." AC winked and Madgen pretending like she was throwing up.

"Oh, I'm sorry, is my vomit scaring you off? I sure hope so!" Magden pseudo-barfed more fervently but AC wasn't affected.

"Babe, I know you're love sick. It's okay. I've got the cure." AC leaned towards Magden's caramel colored lips and waited. Magden leaned in as well, and right before their lips met she licked his face openly. AC sputtered and wiped the saliva from his cheek.

"A French kisser! I like it." AC leaned in for another and the annoyed trainer pushed him off of her.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" With another sarcastic smile she walked away.

XXX

"Inspection time! Please present your bags before trekking into the cave! You are only allowed six pokemon, the clothes on your back, and the gallon of water allotted!" Cameron quickly scanned the contents of the campers' packs with a flashlight. Yanmega buzzed about the campers once, double-checking for anything his trainer might have missed. A sleeve of Oreos was confiscated from Tyler, Daisuke had to sacrifice his trusty Swiss pocket knife, and Talia was forced to give up her cosmetics kit.

"You will spend twelve hours in the bowels of Mt. Moon. The current time is 5:15pm, and you will emerge from the caves at 5:15am. Is this understood?" Hunter was stationed at the cave's entrance, perched upon a stone-faced Tauros. The campers simultaneously nodded and lined up before the mouth. The winds from the tunnel were warm, and they swirled about the campers invitingly.

"Tomorrow morning, the other counselors and I will be sending scouts to come retrieve you. Upon inspection you will be graded by the state of yourselves, your pokemon, and the events of the past night. To monitor you all, we will be attaching trackers to your packs. Lose them, and there's a good chance we won't be bringing you back in the morning." With this sullen remark Hunter clipped miniature tracking devices to the backpacks of every camper. With an encouraging wave, the students plunged into the depths of Mt. Moon.

XXX

**A/N: Anywho, here's the next chapter! I decided to get this one out quick—sorry if there's not a lot of action, but seeing as the holidays are here I'm working as best I can. Thanks for reading! (: **

**Love, Katie **


	5. Blood, Sweat, and Tears

**Happy Holidays! I've gotten so many great reviews and I'm so lucky to have such awesome readers/contributors. Tell me whatcha think!**

_IF YOU ARE SUBMITTING AN OC AS OF 12/25/09, DO NOT EXPECT YOUR OC TO APPEAR UNTIL THE CAMPERS LEAVE KANTO. I CANNOT KEEP UP AND THE INEQUALITY WILL DESTROY THE FABRIC OF MY UNIVERSE. _

**Sorry. **

**XXX**

Story Start:

_Mysterious as the Dark Side of Mt. Moon—PART 1/2_

The deeper the campers ventured into the cave, the colder the air became. Distancing themselves further and further from the surface, the calming lights of the illuminated trail faded away until the darkness was the only thing present.

Talia released her Misdreaveous, whose glow only threw about five meters of rock into relief. A gust of icy wind came from the cave's depths, and Talia grabbed for Berane's hand wildly. Upon the contact Berane froze—this was _not_ in the job description. Her orange gaze caught his multi-colored stare, and both coordinators stopped breathing.

At Berane's feet, Caleb (his shiny Lucario) nudged Berane forward until he practically was hugging Talia. She exhaled at his touch, and remained glued to his side. Berane slowly relaxed until his arm was securely wrapped around her tiny waist.

"Where do you want to set up camp?" Talia asked after a while, stepping precariously over rocks and crevices.

"Anywhere that the sky is visible." Berane's voice was soft, kind, and sounded as if it was hardly used.

"How about that way? It's not a long walk and I can see the full moon's light from here." Talia turned and the otherwise smooth path became jagged and slippery. Her foot gave way and her shin cracked against a sharp stone. Her cry of pain was amplified within the rocky prison, and the sound tore at Berane's heart.

"Are you okay? Talia? Answer me!" The tiny blonde shook her head 'no' and clutched her leg tighter. Her Misdreaveous swooped to her side but there wasn't much the ghost pokemon could do. Berane lifted the girl in his arms, bridal style, and carried her the remainder of the distance. When he stopped and set her down, his gaze was drawn upward. Above the cragged rock face was a skylight, and thousands of stars could be seen through this opening alone. The moon was full and bright, and by its incandescence Berane inspected Talia's shin. Her leg was contorted oddly, and deep purple bruises blossomed under her pale complexion.

"It's broken," Berane concluded. "I'm going to try and splint it, but I guarantee it will hurt. Will you let me try?" He caught her eye and she nodded hard. Berane removed his jacket and his t-shirt, rolling up the latter and sticking it between Talia's teeth.

"Bite hard and don't scream." He ordered. Swiftly, Berane took her tiny shin in his hands and pressed on the swollen bone. Talia's cry was bloodcurdling, but its volume was cut in half due to the cloth in her mouth. Berane then wrapped the injury with strips of his torn t-shirt.

"I'm sorry for hurting you." Berane continued to mumble under his breath until Talia stopped crying.

"You didn't hurt me. You've helped me. Thank you." Talia looked up to the night sky and sighed. Berane followed her line of vision and began to grin.

"I've always loved the stars. _Always_. They never fail to make me smile."

Talia studied Berane for a moment, and a strange feeling began to bubble in her chest. Something new, something exciting began to breathe within Talia. And it was all triggered by the kindness and enigmatic personality of Berane Dimonis. The boy began to sing softly beneath the canopy of stars, and the sound alone was enough to make her heart melt.

"Come here." Talia beckoned him with a wave of her hand. Berane stood and proceeded to lie down beside her.

With no agreement or discussion, Talia laid her head upon Berane's chest and listened to the steady beating of his heart. She decided she liked this sound more than anything she's ever heard. With this decision made, Talia Martino opened her heart to the world for the first time.

XXX

Riley released his Rapidash confidently, and the billowing flames upon her back cast a bright glow on the cave's walls. Kai tried to not look mildly impressed.

"Objective: Make it through the night and prove our resourcefulness." Kai crouched low and prodded an odd-looking plant with a stick. Upon the intrusion the plant shrunk within the floor, and Kai frowned. Maybe this wasn't going to be as easy as she thought.

"Objective: Make _out _through the night and prove our re-_kissing_-ness." Riley skipped over a break in the rock floor and landed next to Kai. She increased her step and walked in front of Rapidash, clearly avoiding him.

"God, you troublesome woman! Will you cut the crap and kiss me already? Denying your attraction for me would be tantamount to trying to convince me you're ugly, which would be an impossible feat by itself." Kai growled in response but said nothing.

"See? You can't say anything because you know I'm right!" Riley's smug expression became angering to Kai, and she turned around to face him.

"Say it again Riley. See what happens." She poked him in the chest for emphasis and Riley flashed another smirk.

"I will. You like me." Although Kai wanted to deny it, she couldn't. But she decided to counter his accusation with a statement of her own.

"You want me though. And don't we always want what we can never have?" Kai was basically rejecting him and she knew it, but she couldn't let Riley live with the satisfaction that he was right. For once.

"Kiss me." He whispered.

Kai reached for his neck and tangled her fingers in his choppy brown hair.

"Rapidash, return."

With all light extinguished, the two trainers seemed to be in another world. Riley bent down in front of Kai's face, and even in the darkness he could see the violet of her eyes. He could smell her breath—fresh, minty, and cold—and he yearned to taste it.

"Please kiss me, Kaiya." Riley's voice held the perfect mixture of want, need, and helplessness. Kai succumbed to his request and pressed her lips to his. The kiss enthralled her, and it ignited an inner fire so hot it could've burned down Mt. Moon's entire forest. But Kai wouldn't have noticed.

XXX

Emily Johnson hated the cold. She shivered uncontrollably every time the cave's icy wind sliced through her summer clothes.

"What is making the air so freezing?" Daisuke growled, wrapping his arms so tightly around his torso it looked as if breathing would be difficult. Emily shrugged and the movement triggered another fit of teeth chattering. Above the uncomfortable trainers floated Emily's Misdreaveous and Daisuke's Banette. The two pokemon seemed to get along well, but the perpetual motion of Banette zipping and unzipping its mouth sent Misdreaveous over the edge. The ghost pokemon attacked Banette, who began clawing at Misdreaveous' neck in rage.

"Banette, what the hell? Leave her alone!"

"Misdreaveous, behave!"

The trainers paused mid-scolding and made eye contact. After an awkward silence they kept walking. A few moments later Daisuke began to make small talk.

"So…what city are you from?" His tone was nonchalant.

"I'm from Fortree in Hoenn. What about you?"

"Veilstone City in Sinnoh. So you're gonna be a trainer right? As good as Ash Ketchum or what?" The smile on Daisuke's face was playful and it made Emily's stomach flip. But little did she know how much Daisuke loved the sound of her voice. The boy would ask hundreds of questions, ranging from deep to ridiculous, just to hear her talk. After an hour or so they decided to make camp on a small outcropping. Emily looked around for kindling, dried wood, anything that might help her make a fire. But in the damp, rocky caves of Mt. Moon none of these items were available.

"Damn, it's times like these where I wish I trained fire pokemon." Daisuke's words were split and chattering—most likely due to the uncontrollable tremors that shook his frame. The blasts were frequent and strong on the ledge, and Daisuke pulled Emily close.

"B-bb-bod-y he-e-e-eat-t." He chattered, and Emily snuggled into his shoulder.

The next moment another pair sailed through the cavern on the back of a Charizard. It's tail was like a beacon, and from it Daisuke realized it was Hiro and Kame. Hiro had abandoned his black vans for a pair of black combat boots. His skinnies were tucked into them, and he had wrapped a black bandana around his forehead. Kame's tawny hair had been French braided into a battle-ready knot on the back of her head, and a headband similar to Hiro's kept her flyaway bangs in place.

"C'mon Emily! We've gotta follow them! They're getting ahead!" Daisuke quickly heaved the gallon of water on his back and began to run.

"Daisuke, why are we following them?"Emily shouted.

Her Misdreaveous shook her head and sighed. Daisuke's Banette floated up to Misdreaveous then, and slowly lifted its clawed hand to its mouth. Misdreaveous hissed low in her throat, almost daring him to test her.

Banette grabbed a hold of its mouth and yanked. The zipper pulled and a huge ball of cursed energy escaped its jaws. The energy dissolved in the cavern air quickly, and some parts of it seemed to sink into the walls themselves.

Misdreaveous attacked Banette relentlessly then, for it had most likely cursed the entire cavern.

XXX

"Hiro, where are we going?" Kame asked, clutching Charizard's neck a little tighter every time the lizard banked.

The trainer shrugged and pushed his pokemon forward.

"Once we reach the other side of this chasm we'll touch down and make camp. Deal?" Kame nodded in agreement and stared ahead.

Suddenly, the hairs on Hiro's neck began to stand on end. An uncomfortable feeling worked its way into his stomach, and his spine grew tingly.

"Do you feel that?" Hiro felt he had to whisper. They weren't alone in the cavern. The chill swept through Kame as well, as she shook terribly for a few seconds and exhaled sharply.

"What was that?"

Hiro used his knees to direct Charizard to the rock floor, and once they were safe on the ground they continued to walk.

The gallon of water was attached to Charizard, who lumbered a few paces behind the pair. Hiro and Kame found themselves at a dead end.

"Aw, crap! Now we have to turn around!" Hiro growled, but Kame pointed upward.

"Look! There's another opening at the top! Charizard can fly us up!"

"No, he can't. The ceiling is too low and too jagged. Charizard can't fit. C'mon boy, let's go." Hiro returned Charizard and the flame was extinguished. The couple waited for their eyes to adjust, and Kame reached for the gallon of water.

"No, Kame. You're not carrying this." Hiro removed his v-neck and began tearing it into long strips. Kame stood frozen to the spot with her eyes locked on his toned chest. He strapped the water across his back and tied in around his midsection. It sat like a heavy backpack on his spine. Kame and Hiro began their climb, moving slowly and with extreme care. Hiro placed his hand on a strange-feeling boulder, and when he hoisted himself up to it he shouted in surprise.

The rock was a Geodude, and from the looks of it, it was pretty pissed. Upon surveying the rest of the rock wall, the trainers realized the _entire wall _was composed of Geodudes, Gravelers, and the occasional Golem.

With a sonorous roar the cavern began to tremble. Above the fray the stalactites shook fervently, and small pebbles began raining on the trainers' heads.

"Oh. My. God." The Geodude began falling rapidly, and with every dropping pokemon the cavern became more unstable. It only took the body of one Graveler to slam into the rock floor and send the ceiling into a dangerous cascade of boulders. Hiro grabbed Kame's waist and yanked her beneath him. A rock fell and struck Hiro on his back, bursting the plastic bottle and drenching both trainers.

"Hiro, look out!" A Graveler detached itself from the ceiling and was plummeting towards Hiro's exposed spine. Jolteon sent bolts of thunder within the beast but its charge did nothing to hinder it.

"Kame, my belt! Grab Torterra! He's the third from the left!" Hiro commanded, keeping his arms over Kame's form. She scrambled and threw the pokeball into the air. Sadly, Kame had chosen Mudkip's pokeball, and being released in such chaos, the tiny water type began to panic.

"Mudkip, listen to me! Use hydro pump on that Graveler!" Mudkip sent a torrent of water towards the colossal creature, and its course was altered from the blast. The boulders were gathering now, and slowly covering any exit to the other areas of the cavern. Within ten minutes the trainers were buried. The boulders created space for them to sit and breathe, but neither could stand or possibly stretch comfortably.

"Hiro, Hiro, _HIRO_!" Kame's companion had struck his head on a rock and now lied unconscious over her. She shook him gently and desperately tried to wake him. The only proof that he was alive was his strong heartbeat.

"_HELP_!" Kame screamed.

"_SOMEBODY! ANYBODY_!"

But the trainer's cries fell on deaf ears. She would just have to wait.

XXX

Alex and Mark had taken a smooth path that slowly descended into the cave's lower levels. They were studying a colony of Zubat when the ground beneath them shook. Mark steadied himself after making sure Alex was safe.

"What was that?" She asked, trying to calm down Blaze. Mark shrugged and returned Sarah.

"An earthquake, most likely. Or a land slide. Either way, some rocks were definitely in motion."

"Do you think anyone was down there?" Alex asked, her voice adopting a worried tone instantly.

"I doubt it; there are tons of Geodude and Graveler living in here. Maybe they're migrating." With this assurance Alex seemed to relax. The two trainers pressed on and eventually set up camp beneath the Zubat colonies. Alex's Blaze kept their home base lit, and their beds consisted of the tails of Alex's Ninetales and Rex's coarse fur. The warmth of the fire pokemon seemed to cut through the cold, and it radiated heat for the freezing trainers.

"Goodnight, Alex." Mark said sleepily.

"Goodnight, Mark." Within her response was a smile, and with this statement Mark fell asleep with a grin plastered on his face.

XXX


	6. A Nightmare You Can't Escape

**Okay, so I have no idea why reviews/alerts aren't showing up in my inbox. Is this happening to anyone else? **

**Regardless, I can't thank everyone enough for reading Camp Catchem'all. Tell me what you think!**

**XXX**

Story Start:

_Mysterious as the Dark Side of Mt. Moon, Part 2/2_

"Here."

"There."

"No, _here_."

"Over _there, _idiot!"

The Delafuente twins were at each other's throats once more, and their on looking pokemon shook their heads tiredly. They were fighting for about three hours and trying to make peace seemed futile.

Rey's Magnezone gave off electrical waves that dimly lit the path of the twins, and Tony's Cleffa rode atop it. The tunnel they chose actually began to slope upward, and soon the cavern grew lighter and lighter. Cleffa began to get really excited as the group ascended, and it chanted its name at lightning speed. The repetition was enough to make the twins stop arguing.

"Cleffa. Oh my gah, just _shut up_! Can't you see we're having a very important argument?" Tony snarled. Cleffa stopped for a second, shook its head, and resumed chanting. It leapt off the magnet area pokemon and sprinted to the source of the light. Tony stopped pulling Rey's onyx hair to follow his baby pokemon.

"Cleffa! Come back you little piece of—"

"HOLY CRAP!" Rey pointed skyward and Anthony followed his finger. The sight caught him off guard and he gasped audibly. Surrounding the cave walls were a multitude of Clefairy, Clefable, and even a few Cleffa. In the center of the clearing sat an enormous white stone, whose surface was smooth and shiny. The Clefairy seemed to be chanting their name low, while the Cleffa watched in anticipation. The Clefable were monitoring whatever ritual was being performed. Tony's Cleffa ran straight to the white stone and the congregation halted immediately.

"Clefairy! Clefairy Clefairy! Fair!" One Clefairy jumped down from its perch to stop Cleffa from touching it. The baby pokemon's eyes grew large and moist as it began to cry. Clefairy moved Cleffa several feet back before jumping back to its place.

Simultaneously the group of Clefairy began to use Metronome, and the glow the pokemon created almost blinded the trainers. When the light dimmed, the white stone in the center of the room was glowing brightly. The Cleffa, Clefairy, and Clefable all cheered, and rushed to the white rock to touch it, Tony's Cleffa included. When baby Cleffa touched the moon stone, it became extremely pleased and bounced around the other pokemon. It reached Tony eventually and leapt into his arms. Cleffa looked straight into Tony's eyes and began squealing with joy again. After a few seconds of jubilance Cleffa began to glow.

"Tony! Cleffa's evolving!"

What Rey said was definitely true—when the brilliance faded Tony's brand new Clefairy danced around his legs. The other Clefairy noticed the Cleffa's transformation and congratulated it animatedly. Almost as an 'evolving gift' the Clefairy led the twins to their underground paradise. A skylight to the full moon cast a shallow pool of clear water into relief—and bushes of native cave berries grew lush and fruitful. Rey picked one off the branch—it was shaped like a cucumber. He watched a Clefable eat the entire thing like an apple, and following its example, he took a bite. The outside was sour, but the inside was sweet. The bright purple juices flowed over his chin and onto his hands—and the smell was enough to get Tony to try it as well.

"This is amazing!" He marveled, devouring his tubular fruit in four mouthfuls. The Clefairy agreed enthusiastically and picked food of their own.

"Here?" Rey suggested.

"Here."

XXX

"Please wake up. _Please_. For me. Hiro! I can't do this without you." Kame's tears flowed openly now. She had tried everything, from Jolteon's electric shocks to simply touching his face—yet nothing she attempted prevailed. Kame discovered where Hiro had struck his head: only inches above his neck. The knot on his skull was enormous, and when she touched it she felt his pulse.

"Hiro?" As if in response to her voice, Hiro's fingers twitched and he mumbled inaudibly.

"Kah…may…Ka…"

"Kah may? What's that supposed to mea—" She broke off mid sentence and her heart nearly stopped.

He was saying her name.

"Wake up! Mudkip, Hydro pump!" The move only resulted in a dripping wet mess.

Kame pulled the backpack from her side and searched for the tracking device. It was clipped to the top zipper, and upon close examination, Kame realized the tracker was broken. Scrambling to the unconscious body of her friend, she yanked the tattered pack from Hiro and checked the zipper. The chip was not there.

Kame screamed in frustration and beat the floor with her fist. No tracker equaled no help. Jolteon whined and licked the face of his master in quiet desperation.

"IS ANYBODY OUT THERE? _PLEASE_!"

XXX

"Magby, stop lagging! If we want to be the very best, we've gotta get going!" AC strutted at a brisk pace, almost walking out of the light his fire pokemon cast. Magden was behind him, with Hakumei (her Dusknoir) floating above the group.

"God you freak, will you just take it easy? We've got all night to get tired." Magden returned Hakumei and fell in stride next to her partner. AC gave her a shocked look.

"And risk winning? Never!"

Magden grumbled in response and bent to tie her shoe. AC and Magby paused, waiting for the chocolate-skinned trainer to stand again. While knotting the white laces, Magden took a look around the cavern. The walls seemed to be oozing some sort of sludge which was brown in color.

"That's disgusting." AC remarked, and once Magden rose a brisk wind whipped through the tunnel. Magby's glow disappeared, and the gales howled in the high ceilings. AC hit the floor, ducking something that obviously wasn't there.

"Something grabbed me!" AC shouted. "Something yanked my shirt!"

"That's a load of ish, let me see." Magden grabbed AC by the collar and when she saw the neck she dropped him. His shirt had been ripped. The material hung in cragged strips on his upper back—and the skin beneath the shirt was red and raised.

"It wasn't a pokemon, because I didn't see one! I felt this horrible feeling and then I was pulled to the floor!" Magby became very defensive and extended his glow a few yards further. Some of the Paras and Parasect hissed in anger—the light stung their sensitive eyes. After Magby had intensified its incandescence the chilling wind came again.

"Call Magby back!" Magden ordered. The gust tugged at her curly hair and she cried out.

"Do it already!"

When AC returned his Magmar, the wind stopped.

"Well, it's wonderful that we're not being attacked anymore, but how in the hell are we supposed to see?" AC stomped his foot and slipped. He landed on something wet and leafy. The path they had originally chosen had transitioned into a shrubbery. Magden walked over to the wall and pulled on a long vine.

"Looks like we're not in Kansas anymore." AC said, brushing off his clothes and walking forward. Further down the tunnel, the rock gave way to an entire underground forest. The trainer's eyes adjusted and soon the forest began to glow. The leaves, the plants, the trees, all held a brilliant bioluminescence that was indescribable. To Magden's extreme pleasure, every step she took left a glowing patch of grass.

"This is incredible!" AC laughed, running to every plant within reach and touching it.

"I wonder what makes the trees glow down here…" Magden mused.

"It has to be something about the lack of sunlight, because these plants can't auto-produce without light, right?" AC's hand left illuminated imprints on the wide leaves of a bush. Magden shrugged and hoisted herself on the low boughs of a glimmering purple tree. She scaled the branches easily, and soon found herself on the middle layer of the glowing canopy. With an awe-struck gasp, the girl beckoned her companion up.

"You've got to see this!" She said excitedly. AC made the climb with little difficulty and looked where Magden pointed. The breath hitched in his throat as he saw the canyon.

Wrapped around the area were winding vines, which shone with greens, blues, yellows, and the occasional pink. Every ounce of life was aglow, and seeing it in such a magnitude was a wonder of its own. Down in the canyon, tons of pokemon were either sleeping or eating, and these species had adapted like the foliage they lived in. The Parasects' shells had been striped with glowing scales, and the wings on the Zubat were green and illuminated.

Magden pulled the enormous, waxy leaves of one bush and arranged them so they created a nest of sorts. She sat in the underbrush and found a comfortable position.

"You're sleeping? With all of these amazing pokemon to battle and catch?"

"Uhhh, yeah? A girl needs her beauty sleep!"

"Girl, you don't need no beauty sleep," He mocked. "Because you're just as hot, whether you got your eight hours or not!" With a sweet smile AC leapt into the brush.

"Goodbye!" She said rather forcefully, and rolled over to catch some shut eye.

XXX

"So, are you afraid of the dark?" Venice, who was so fond of flirting, touched James' shoulder. Her voice had adopted a low, suggestive tone, and it made James squirm in discomfort.

"Ungh." He growled, removing her slender fingers from his Air Force jacket and sidestepping Cait, Venice's Espeon.

"What's wrong? I don't bite." Venice whined.

James shook his head and placed his hand on Razor, his Luxray. Its eyes glowed as it looked through the cave walls. After a moment of searching the Luxray leapt onto a raised ledge.

"Ray! Luxray!" It pointed to a higher ledge where a small lantern burned. Both trainers shared a puzzled look before climbing on the rock. From James' tall stature he spotted a makeshift cabin that had been carved into the rock face.

"What the—?" He felt along the wall until he realized a crude set of stairs wound up to the hut.

"Should we go up there?" Venice asked quietly. James only shrugged and swept the hair out of his eyes.

"C'mon Razor. You first." The Luxray growled in contempt as it precariously trotted to the ledge. When everyone reached the top James knocked on the door.

"Hello? Is anyone in there?" Venice called loudly. The sudden noise caused several bunches of Diglett to begin burrowing below them, and the movement caused strong vibrations in the rock.

"Don't do that again please." James requested. The shabby door opened and an old woman stepped out. Her hair was bright silver, and the ends of it brushed the floor. It had been woven into several plaits and within the knots were flowers. She was wearing a loose, flowing shirt and white Capri pants. Her eyes were a faded blue and her smile was warm.

"Trainers! Oh goodness what a surprise! Put a spot of tea on the fire, Milotic!" The serpent in question cooed happily and placed a worn black kettle on the stovetop.

"What brings such a fine couple as yourselves down to my cottage?" The old woman asked, gesturing to the close proximity of Venice and James. James blushed madly and stepped away from her.

"We're not a couple, ma'am." He muttered.

"Well you should be! You'd both make an adorable pair!" The old woman was kind, and within a few minutes the trainers were served a rich jasmine tea, complemented with small finger sandwiches.

"Pardon my bluntness, ma'am, but how do you survive down here? I mean, where do you get food? Or water or even sanitation?" The words were out of Venice's mouth quickly, and from the expression on her face it seemed as if she had no qualms about them.

"My dear—I don't live down here!" The woman was laughing softly.

"I'm a pokemon researcher! I stay here in my little cottages when I'm on an expedition for more than a day!"

James nodded in understanding. This was a reasonable explanation.

"My name is Rose Aulden. And this, as you know, is my dear Milotic. We're currently studying a strange occurrence that's been disturbing this cave!" She walked over to the windowsill where a number of labeled pots sat. She watered each deliberately and opened her mouth to speak once more.

"I noticed it about four hours ago—but the cave is upset. Something—or someone—has released large amounts of negative energy. They have permeated throughout the entire cavern—" She took a highlighter and circled a few locations on her enormous map. "—and originally started from this point." She drew a star around a cavern located three miles from the entrance.

"That could be one of the groups!" James exclaimed.

Rose nodded and continued. "It's so difficult to run research when there are about eighteen hormonally frustrated teenagers running about! It's madness!"

At the words 'hormonally frustrated' Venice cast James a sideways glance.

"I agree, it just seems like no one can handle themselves." At James' remark Venice withdrew the hand she had been inching towards his thigh.

XXX

"Tyler, we need to find somewhere to sleep! We've been wandering all night!" Jessica Cooper scooped up her Cubone in her arms, who had grown tired of walking. She gently tapped Cubone's pokeball to his forehead and it disappeared in a flash of red light. Tyler looked around for Solu, his Absol, and upon pinpointing its location he sighed in relief.

"Stop running off like that! We need to stay together!" Tyler scolded. The Absol hung its head in dismay.

"Hmm, do you smell that?" Jessica inhaled and her nose crinkled in disgust.

Tyler took a breath of his own and gagged. The smell of rotting flesh was putrid, and the trainer pulled his shirt over his face in an attempt to separate himself from it.

"God it's dark in here. Let's go, Growlithe!" When the russet red dog emerged from its pokeball, it sniffed around until it found something to light as a torch. At Jessica's feet Growlithe dropped a bone. A human bone. The femur in question was yellowed and brittle, and at its sight Jessica released a bloodcurdling scream.

"Jessica, I thought you were supposed to be a freaking rang—JESUS!" Tyler screamed just as shrilly as Jessica and leapt into her arms. With a thud they hit the cave floor.

"And you're about to call _me _a sissy?" Jessica cocked an eyebrow and Tyler grinned sheepishly. Growlithe sat down to chew on its new teething toy and the future ranger kicked it away.

"Don't eat that, it's dirty!" Growlithe wiped a paw over its rough tongue, almost as if to rid his mouth of the filth. The Growlithe then skipped ahead and used Fire Fang, unprompted, to light its path. It skidded to a halt about ten paces away.

"What is it, boy? What's in the cave?" Tyler jogged to where the Growlithe froze, and took in the sights of the cavern. Human bones littered the cave floor, and on the walls were terrifying paintings of demons, rabid pokemon, and blood. A lot of blood.

To top off their horror, the icy wind tousled the clothes and hair of the couple. Within the blasts was a low, menacing growl—tantamount to a warning. Jessica looked into the darkness and spotted two red eyes. They gleamed with a sinister significance, a significance that spelled "I'm going to eat you."

Tyler pulled Jessica behind him slowly, and put out his arms as a shield.

"Don't move," He breathed. "I'm going to protect you."

"Thanks Tyler but I'm fine on my own." She whispered back.

Tyler laughed, but the sound was forced and bleak.

"If that thing starts attacking, you run. You run and leave me behind."

"Are you crazy? No one gets left behind!" Jessica grabbed Tyler's rather clammy hand and planted her feet. The two eyes grew larger and larger until it floated into the light. The eyes belonged to a Banette—and its trainer came running behind. It was Daisuke, who was accompanied by a panting Emily. Daisuke's pokemon continued to zip and unzip its mouth—unaware of the cursed energy its mouth freed.

"Daisuke! Call back your Banette, now!" Jessica's face grew stricken with fear.

"Yeah, or else what?" He sneered.

"Well, your freaking Banette and its freaking zipper are releasing some cursed crap around the cave—and it keeps doing it! The whole cavern is probably cursed, you moron!" Tyler was angry and stepped forward to challenge him.

"Oh, so it's a fight now?" Daisuke's eyes grew bloodthirsty and he touched the pokemon on his belt.

"One on one." Tyler had been absolutely _itching_ for a battle—and now that this cocky idiot needed to be silenced, Tyler gladly took the opportunity.

"Okay, fine! I win, and I keep Banette out. I lose, and I return him. Deal?"

"No, there's gotta be more. If I win, I have one 'no-rules' request that I can redeem whenever I please. The same goes for you." Daisuke scanned the proposition for the loophole and hastily decided there wasn't one.

"Let's go then! Ladies first!"

With a growl, Tyler called out Solu.

Daisuke said nothing and released his Kecleon.

"Night Slash, Solu!" The sickle-shaped appendage on Absol's head glowed a deep purple as he broke into a run. Daisuke snapped his fingers and Kecleon dissolved into the background. Solu's attack fell on thin air as Kecleon danced away, unscathed.

"Shadow Claw!" Out of the darkness Kecleon barreled towards the unsuspecting Absol—and landed a direct hit on his flank. Absol hissed angrily and jumped back in a crouch.

"Look for the stripe, Solu! Use Night Slash again!" Absol carefully scanned the area until his eyes landed on his target—a tiny red stripe. It hovered on the wall about six meters off the ground. Tyler's partner leapt for the stripe quickly and struck it with a powerful blast of dark energy. The stripe fell from the rocky terrace and landed loudly on the ground—momentarily disorienting Kecleon. Its camouflage faltered and it became visible once more.

"Fury Swipes, Kec!" With a flash of white light Kecleon clung to Solu's head. Its claws raked over the Absol's eyes maliciously, and with a pained howl he dropped to the floor. Thrashing wildly, the Kecleon was soon shaken from Solu's back and the color swap pokemon jumped near its master.

"Use Slash!"

"Solu, use bite!" The black and white beast sunk its teeth into Kecleon, who rolled away in attempt to free itself. To keep its prey stationary Absol clamped its jaws more forcefully. The Kecleon struggled in Solu's vice and cried in pain. Satisfied at the suffering of the other pokemon, Solu unhinged its jaws and Kecleon rolled out with a groan. It tried to get up slowly but fell, slipping into unconsciousness. Daisuke had lost.

"YEAH SOLU! THAT'S HOW WE DO!"

Daisuke scoffed and turned on his heel, returning the Banette which had caused so much trouble. Emily took one last glance at the elated Tyler before following her partner. Once the pair had left Jessica congratulated him and returned to the task at hand.

"Look at these paintings. They're horrible." One mural depicted a mutated, black pokemon who was devouring humans as if they were snack-sized. Another featured the same pokemon drinking the blood of people and pokemon alike—and their bones littered the floor around its feet.

"Have you ever seen anything like that?" When Jessica's finger touched the picture of the demonic pokemon a chill ran down her spine. Tyler cocked his head in thought and stared at the floor.

"Look, someone has been here recently. See the footprints?"

"Those are our footprints, Tyler."

"No, they aren't! We haven't been this close to the painting, and everywhere else is covered in an inch of dust and grime!" Jessica let this sink in. She walked further down the cave wall until her hand touched something wet. When she drew it away she realized it was paint.

"Look at this one!"

The artwork was crude and new, and the brushstrokes created another gruesome scene. The black pokemon was now seated on a raised platform—and the full moon was just above its monstrous head. Tyler pointed out that there was a line of planets leading straight to the moon, and that the tail of the beast was dangling over a fiery pit in the ground. In front of the monster were hundreds of humans, and they all were bowing in submission to this mutant.

"What do you think this means?" Jessica was beyond scared now.

"It's gotta be a prophecy. If the footprints are fresh and the paint is still wet, it means someone is making these predictions within the day. Something big is happening."

"But why in this cave? What makes Mt. Moon so important?"

"To that question, I have no idea."

XXX

The three counselors rose at approximately 4:30AM, and congregated at the mess hall before venturing to the cave. In Cameron's hands was a small handheld device, and when he turned it on about sixteen red dots began flashing on a grid of Mt. Moon's interior.

"There are only sixteen dots here, Tarkov. Two campers are missing." Cameron double-checked his calculations and confirmed his conclusion.

"We just need to find the remaining kids, regroup, and conduct a group search." Hunter stepped briskly now, eager to begin the collection of her campers. At her remark Cameron glared—for no particular reason—yet something about her angered him. He shook off the discontent and walked to the mouth of the cave.

"Tarkov, take the east side. Hunter, the west. I'll handle upper and lower levels." Cameron pulled two similar devices from his pack and handed them to his colleagues. With cries of anticipation from trainer and pokemon, the two other counselors plummeted into the dark abyss. Cameron released his entire team—Yanmega, Kingdra, Mamoswine, Rhyperior, and Heatran—before beginning his search.

The first trainers they found were Alex and Mark, who were comfortably curled in the confines of their fire pokemon. They presented their gallon of water, completely intact, and were escorted from the tunnel by Cameron's Kingdra. Pressing deeper into the mountain, Cameron came across Magden, who was sound asleep in a bed of glowing leaves—and AC, who had tried to rest beside her. Cameron deducted that Magden had given AC his black eye—most likely due to the proximity the boy attempted to achieve. Rousing them both the trainers left the glowing forest with Mamoswine.

Hunter Larsen discovered Talia and Berane beneath the morning light, and applied some sticky looking salve to the young girl's shin. When Hunter attempted placing Talia in Tauros' care, Berane refused, and picked up the girl in his arms instead. The pair departed with her pokemon in tow. Leaving the plateau and venturing further, Hunter unearthed Daisuke and Emily. The boy put up a fight over leaving—claiming he had some 'unfinished business' but was soon humbled by Hunter's Teddiursa. The bear basically dragged Daisuke from the cave with an embarrassed Emily following close behind them.

The duo she retrieved next consisted of the Delafuentes, who were gushing about Tony's Cleffa's evolution and the full moon ritual. Anthony's Clefairy touched the moon stone one more time before following his master and Hunter's Torkoal.

"_WAKE UP, DELINQUENTS! IT'S TIME TO LEAVE_!" Tarkov roared, nudging Riley with a weathered combat boot. The lanky boy groaned and untangled himself from Kai's sleeping form.

"Getting frisky, were we? That kind of behavior is _NOT TOLERATED_!"

Riley laughed and rolled his eyes.

"_She_ came onto _me_. You know how women are." Tarkov laughed once—a short, cajoling bark—and quickly converted back to his glare. He pointed once to Kai and once to his Nidoking. Riley hoisted her tiny body into the pokemon's arms and started his trek to the surface.

Tarkov rescued Venice and James next—but mostly the rescuing was for James, as the boy had endured an entire night of attempted seduction and flirty advances. James accepted assistance from Tarkov's Electabuzz gladly. Any excuse to get away from the overbearing—yet slightly intriguing—Venice was important to James. Later in the cavern, wide awake and trembling, were Jessica Cooper and Tyler Mason. When Tarkov asked them what the matter was they pointed to the cave paintings across from them. The paintings registered no reaction to Tarkov and he ordered them out. Golem guided them well—already adapted to the rock of the cavern.

At the surface, Hunter took a head count.

"Who is missing?" Cameron asked.

"Hiro and Kame!" Hunter exclaimed, slapping a hand to her forehead.

"Who were the last to see them?" Tarkov asked.

Emily raised her hand.

"They flew over us in a Charizard around 11:00PM, but I had no idea which direction they went."

Cameron navigated through his tracking system thoroughly, and pulled up the device history.

"What she says is true, because Tracker 17A shut down at 11:15PM, and Tracker 17B was damaged at 11:13PM."

"They can't survive in there forever, Tarkov. We have to find them."

With that decision made, the entire camp flooded into the cavern.

XXX

Kame Takeshi began to panic. It had to have been morning by now.

Hiro hadn't made any sign of life since the utterance of her name, and eventually Kame gave up on waking him completely. She sat diligently by Hiro's unconscious form, petting Jolteon in hopes of calming him.

Kame reached for her backpack and fingered the broken device. She had no idea how it worked or how she would try to fix it. Jolteon licked her hand and the contact emitted a small shock of static electricity.

"Jolt, try licking this!" Kame exclaimed, holding up the tiny sensor to the dog's face. With a puzzled look Jolteon complied, and for a split second the red light came on. It began flashing dimly, and Kame's excitement began to climb.

"Lick it again!" Jolteon charged his tongue a bit more and the light shone brilliantly before shutting off completely. Upon multiple tries the glass remained lifeless.

"Damn it!" Kame sunk on her back and began to sob. Her one hope of getting out, of saving Hiro, was just electrocuted out of existence.

XXX

"Hey, what's this one?" For a moment, another red sensor appeared on the touch screens of the counselors' devices. They exchanged triumphant glances and changed their course to the source of the dot. The campers found themselves starting across a deep chasm—one that couldn't be jumped or walked across—and it was decided only those with flying pokemon would advance. Riley took Tarkov on his Charizard, and after they crossed the gap he sent him back to bring over more campers.

When they reached the next area, they were forced to stop. The place was completely sealed off with boulders.

"This must've been the earthquake we felt!" Mark exclaimed. Tarkov produced a megaphone out of nowhere, to everyone's bewilderment, and began yelling in it.

"_TAMINAMA. IF THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR FABLED TRICKS, YOU ARE DEAD_. _CLIMB OUT OF THAT PILE, NOW_!"

Hunter slapped Tarkov on the shoulder and scolded him.

"That idiot couldn't have done this on his own. This isn't a trick. And we cannot blatantly threat our campers!" Hunter grabbed the megaphone and talked again.

"_Kame or Hiro! Please send us a sign that you're safe and you're in there_!"

Her response was a long, drawn out scream. Its translation was lost through the inches of stone.

Hunter let out a cry of relief and ordered her pokemon to begin excavation.

XXX

"_ Kame or Hiro! Please send us a sign that you're safe and you're in there!" _

The words were like music to Kame's ears. She had enough energy left for one, dramatic scream that would hopefully reach Hunter and the others. Kame held her breath for a few moments, praying that her pleas were heard.

Soon a soft rumbling could be heard.

Kame cried once more, but this time in happiness.

From her hip a sudden intake of breath stopped her mid-sob.

"Kame…where am I?" Hiro rubbed his bad eye fervently and tried to sit up. The movement caused him to groan and fall back down.

"We've been trapped all night, and you got hit in the head with a rock. You've been knocked out for about seven hours." Hiro contemplated this and began to laugh.

"_You think this is funny_?" She trilled, moving to strike him. Hiro caught her hand and smiled.

"Not today, tortoise."

"Tortoise?" She stammered.

"That's what your name means, doesn't it? Tortoise." Hiro sounded a bit drunk—likely due to the knot on the base of his skull—and kept repeating her name over and over.

"Hiro. I've been crying and screaming and freaking out all night, and all you can focus on is what my name means?" Her anger was smoldering.

"Uhh, yeah?" He was at a loss.

"I swear to goodness, Hiro, if it were any other day…"

"What? What would you do, Kame?" Hiro called out her bluff and the familiar blush crept onto her cheeks.

"Nothing. Just lie down and shut up." Hiro chuckled and complied.

It was only a matter of time.

XXX

**A/N: Hey guys there's chapter 6 for ya. I decided to take a tiny step out of my normalcy to write this chapter—so PLEASE tell me what you think. Questions? Comments? Advice? **

**Much Love, Katie. **


	7. MicroChapter: New Faces, New Enemies

**Hello my gorgeous readers. I try and update as quick as I can for yalls, but I must forewarn you, once school starts again (Jan 4****th****) I can't promise such rapid submissions. So please forgive me! Here's chapter 7. **

XXX

Story Start:

With the horrors of the cave behind them, the campers all unearthed their adventures for the counselors to hear. With nods of approval and an occasional laugh, Tarkov ordered them all to a full breakfast. The meal consisted of buttery pancakes, fluffy scrambled eggs, and trays of crispy bacon. Starving and just a little rabid, the campers gorged themselves to discomfort.

"Today is a free day! Relax, take a nap, or go for a hike, whatever! But promise me you'll take a shower sometime today!" Cameron pinched his nose in mock disgust. Tony sniffed his armpit, shrugged, and resumed piling food in his mouth. Rey leaned forward to smell his brother's stench and almost gagged.

Talia looked fabulous, as always. Her hair had retained its curl and her skin didn't have one clogged pore. The others were surprised as to how she had recovered from such a dirty-making night.

"If you're as hygiene savvy as me, you'd know the answer." It was assumed her secrets would remain that way.

Hunter was busy attending to the bulge on Hiro's head, and through highly trained medical practice (taking his temperature, poking the wound with a tongue depressor, putting a band-aid over it) she concluded that Hiro has a mild concussion.

"Whateva gave you that idea, sweet cheeks?" Hiro's words were slurred, and he reached for Hunter's shiny green hair.

"We mustn't touch what doesn't belong to us, Taminama."

"Yes, Mother." The boy was sarcastic now, and rolled over to get off of the cheap hospital bed. Hunter stopped him and pressed his body back to the table. She opened the small refrigerator in the corner of the room and pulled out an ice pack.

"Do we have any gauze around here?" She asked no one in particular. The counselor finally settled on duct tape, and secured the ice to the back of Hiro's head with about six or seven circumferences of the silver adhesive.

"How do I look?" Hiro mumbled. Hunter held up a hand mirror.

"Ridiculous." She replied.

"Perfect!" Hiro made his way back to the mess hall to eat.

XXX

"Miss Iralla. Have you had enough time in the brig?" Tarkov taunted, running the keys back and forth over the bars.

"Is this cell really necessary?" She snapped.

"No. But it does make for a good laugh."

Sari growled and exhaled slowly.

"Your father is on his way. You've successfully pissed him off." Hunter was in the room now, setting the wireless phone back in its receiver. Sari didn't even acknowledge the remark and continued staring at the ceiling. Just then a brisk knock came at the door, and Hunter opened it to reveal a very tall man. His skin was a deep tan, and his eyes were golden in color. His hair was chocolate brown, and at his side was a Zangoose. Sari was confused—this man wasn't her father.

"Good afternoon Mr. Tarkov. Miss Larsen." He extended a hand to shake, and after greetings he walked up to the bars. In his eyes were secrets and Sari saw straight to his true motive. To free her.

"I am deeply ashamed for the behavior my daughter has exhibited. I plan on removing her from your camp and preventing any more complications." The voice was chilling, sneaky, and every syllable screamed 'snake'. Sari decided she didn't like the man, yet could not deny her interest in him.

"Mr. Iralla, Sari can stay if she promises to clean up her act." Hunter's voice was sincere—she never wanted a camper to leave her care. But "Mr. Iralla" shook his head.

"My reputation is at stake, Miss Larsen. I'll remove my daughter and issue punishments as I please." Although his words held no truth, Sari couldn't help the dread that crept over her. It was almost as if he really meant it.

Tarkov shrugged and unlocked Sari's cell. He handed her pokemon, sleeping bag, and duffel to the young trainer without a word. Her "father" placed his hand on her shoulder and led her outside.

"Okay. Who are you and what do you want?" She demanded, pushing his hand from her shoulder. The man chuckled darkly before speaking.

"My identity is of no concern to you. But I know what you want. And I've got it." He flexed his fingers and Sari noticed the expensive-looking rings that graced them. They looked as if they could inflict a considerable amount of damage.

"What do I have to do?" Sari asked. She touched the pokemon on her belt and the man shook his head. Her hand withdrew quickly.

"Join me. Join us." His Zangoose smiled crookedly, revealing many sharp teeth.

"I need to know what I'm joining and what your objectives are before I agree to anything." Sari was very persuasive in that way, she always knew how to get what she wanted.

"My Zara and I are a part of a very exclusive, a very prestigious organization known as Team Orion. Our objectives are a myriad of things, but one of the most important ones is that we first must rise to power. And in order to achieve this first goal we must gather pokemon."

"Team Orion? Never heard of it."

The man fumed and raised his voice.

"_Are you going to join or not_?" Sari held up her hand, and to her evident surprise the man stopped yelling.

"Fine. I'll join. But I want pay, and I want power." She planted her feet in defiance.

"I figured you'd say that. But you won't get any significant wages until you've proven your worth to me, and to our superiors." With a turn of his expensive shoes he began to walk away.

"Are you coming?" He asked.

Sari calculated her room for error, and once the numbers got confusing she shook them and ran after the man.

She had become a criminal.

XXX

_Dear Love,_

_Camp Catchem'all is amazing! The sights, the pokemon, the girls! ;) Every time we do something different, my pokemon and I are eager for the challenge. Just last night we had to spend twelve hours in the tunnels of Mt. Moon. I was paired with this smoking hot girl named Maria, but she insists everyone calls her Magden, for whatever reason. She could ask me to call her Gertrude and she'd still be gorgeous. But whatever. Magby knows Lava Plume now, and Crobat learned Aerial Ace! I plan on writing to you guys as often as I can—we have a free day right today—and I hope to get a letter back! I'm going to go train, so send my love to all!_

_-AC _

Anthony James Carter sealed the letter and placed it in the camp's mailbox. He continued the walk up into the forest and released his pokefriends.

"Sandslash, Crobat, Magby! Let's do some training!" His pokemon all cheered in excitement and started their workout with a stretch. After a few minutes AC laced his running shoes and began jogging.

"Let's start with three miles today, a light workout!" His pokemon fell in stride and the small group ran through the forest. The high altitude made AC's breath come fast—but the burn in his lungs was just adding to his elation. He adored the strain, the pain, and the power of his muscles. He craved to feel his heart pounding against his ribs, yearned for its exertion. He prized his body—not how it looked—but how it performed. Whenever AC wasn't eating or flirting, he was training. He felt that champions would train whenever they could—and AC wasn't about to let his free time go to waste. After the first mile his pokemon paused at a small creek. Dipping his feet in the cool stream AC wriggled his toes in the gravelly floor and wiped his face of sweat. Sandslash held up the stopwatch he had given her.

"Hmm. Four minutes, forty-five seconds. Average." He reset the timer and placed it back around her head. After putting his shoes back on and securing the laces, the group shot into the brush for their second round.

XXX

_"GOOD AFTERNOON, WASTES OF SPACE! TOMORROW WE WILL BE TAKING A TRIP DOWN INTO CERULEAN CITY FOR A NIGHT OF FUN. Wait—Hunter! This isn't what my cue card originally said! NEVERMIND! WHAT I ACTUALLY MEANT WAS THAT ALL OF YOU WORTHLESS—ARGHH!"_

It seemed as if there was a squabble over the PA system. Hunter obviously emerged victorious, for her voice was next to air on the speaker.

"_Tarkov was lying! We ARE going down to Cerulean for the night! Dinner is at six tonight, so don't be late_!"

With a static buzzing, the PA system shut down. In the counseling building Tarkov and Hunter were going at it.

"These kids haven't proved their worth!" He growled, strutting over to his trophy case. He had served in the National Pokemon Armed Service Corps for fifteen years, and had gained a General rank. He reached inside the case and touched his nameplate. In the tarnishing bronze was his title: General N. Tarkov.

"I know it's hard to see these children as adequate, Nikolas. But these campers aren't jarheads." Tarkov knew Hunter was serious when she referred to him using his first name. The ex-general sighed deeply and sat behind his desk.

"General Tarkov. A retired military leader who now works for a summer camp." His voice was colored with shame.

"Nikolas! There's nothing wrong with your job! You're giving these kids the _best _training and guidance any camp or school has to offer! No one can understand the fight, or pokemon, or technique like you can. Not even me." For the usually cocky/indifferent Hunter, this was the highest form of encouragement. Tarkov cleared his throat loudly and stood.

"I guess you're right." He breathed.

"Good. Now we have a meeting with that new counselor in three minutes. I'm going to bring him in when you're ready, all right?" Tarkov insisted he be ushered in now and through the door came a man with neon pink hair. His eyes were an alarming shade of teal, and he was built like a basketball player. Tall and muscular. He wore a black tuxedo and had a pair of teal goggles on his head. Upon spotting Hunter he was immediately drawn to her.

"Are you my boss, baby?" He whispered, curling a strand of her green hair around his finger. She slapped his hand away and shook her head, pointing to Tarkov. Tarkov puckered his lips and blew the man a kiss.

"You're working for me, hot stuff."

The man looked shocked but Hunter assured him Tarkov was joking.

"What's your name now?" Tarkov slipped a pair of tiny glasses onto his nose and read over the paperwork.

"I'm Vick Tatter sir, and I know I'd make a great counselor." His voice oozed with confidence and he placed his slender fingers on the table.

"What makes you so sure you're cut out for my camp?" Tarkov growled, giving the man a once-over.

Vick clicked his heels together and saluted the male counselor.

"Ex-General Tarkov, fifteen year pokemon military master, your team consists of six absolute powerhouses, you are a veteran from the Reverse World War, the Four Regions War, and the Battle of Lake Verity. Your track record is impeccable, and you've trained over two thousand recruits, including myself, sir."

Tarkov's glasses had slipped from his nose, and his mouth hung wide open.

"I remember you now! Private Tatter! Your hair wasn't so…vibrant back then. You're hired." Tarkov slapped a temporary nametag in his hand.

"Thank you, sir. It's an honor to work under you." He walked out of the room, but not before whispering to Hunter.

"And it would be an honor to _be_ under you." With a wink he exited the building. Hunter scoffed, clearly offended, and turned toward her colleague.

"You hired a damn pervert!" She shouted. Tarkov shrugged.

"You never _not_ hire a comrade."

"Men are such complete idiots!" With another growl she followed Vick's lead.

XXX


	8. Dressed to Kill

**Hey yalls! Got some good reviews last chapter, thanks ImaginationDomination specifically for the extensive opinion! Anywho, here's chapter 8! Please tell me what you think! **

XXX

Story Start:

_**The Party: Part 1 **_

_"I'm bringing sexy back…yeah! Those muthatruckas don't know how to act, yeah!" _A male voice echoed off the tiled shower walls of the bath house with a resounding tone.

Venice looked up from her cosmetics bag in confusion. She heard the water running, but assumed it had been a girl occupying the shower. She put down the tube of mascara and turned towards the shower hall. She placed the voice as Hiro's, but at the same time she had attached the sound to James. She _wanted_ it to be James, that's for sure. Tall, lean, muscular body…_without clothes_…all wet. But she knew in her heart that James detested singing of any kind, and that Hiro was quite fond of it. On multiple occasions he would sing to passing campers (the female ones) in tune to his guitar.

The female trainer advanced to the occupied stall in question, and watched his silhouette through the cloudy glass of the shower door. He shut the water off and yanked the towel from the ledge where it hung, wrapping it around his midsection. From the depths of the steam emerged a dripping wet Hiro, and upon spotting Venice his lips stretched into a smile.

"Couldn't resist the Siren's song?" He asked. Hiro winked mischievously and neatly dodged a swing from Venice.

"No, I thought you were someone else."

"James?"

"Yeah, it's just that—I mean, _no_!" A furious blush colored her cheeks, and she tried to hide under the fringe of bangs that touched her face. Hiro turned to face her with a smirk.

"I knew you liked him, ever since Mt. Moon! If you want to be sneaky, you have to learn how to play the game." Hiro reached up to his wet hair, and during the process his millions of bracelets fell to his elbow. They dripped with the water from the shower.

"Do you wear your bracelets everywhere?" She asked.

"Stay focused, Venice. Don't try to distract me. But yes, I do. Here's what you have to learn. Step one: act like he doesn't exist anymore."

"Are you sure this works?" She was skeptical.

"As sure as I'm naked under this towel." Venice ran before he could prove his assurance.

XXX

A thick cloud cover stretched its way over Mt. Moon, completely obscuring the sun's warm glow. Anthony Delafuente woke up irritated, for the lack of heat disturbed him.

"Can I get a damn heater around here? Jesus!" He cursed, tugging on a worn grey hoodie. Riley unclipped a pokeball from his belt and chucked it at Tony's head. When it opened his Torchic sat at his feet.

"Ember!" The bird set his cargo pants aflame, and with multiple howls of surprise Tony had managed (with difficulty) to quelch the fire on his trousers.

"Riley, you asshole! What the hell was that for?" Anthony was furious.

"You asked for a heater." His voice feigned innocence and the Delafuente did not buy it. With a grunt he launched himself at Riley, and began pounding his ribs with his fists. With each blow Riley laughed harder, which caused Tony to step up his game. He grabbed a fistful of the flyaway hair and _yanked,_ pulling away a good clump of his brown locks. Riley immediately struck Anthony in the gut and kicked him off. Without acknowledging the groaning heap of Delafuente on the floor, Riley sprinted to the mirror. Upon inspection of his skull he saw the area that had been attacked. The skin was stretched—and multiple follicles were now oozing blood. He touched it gingerly—and shied away at the stinging pain. Riley wasn't upset about the blood—oh no—it was his hair that worried him the most.

He had cherished his style for years, and his prized masterpiece was his hair. Always shiny, always long, and always the perfect shade, Riley loved his hair as a mother loved a child. (Unconditionally) The bald spot on his head was straight above his bangs and was extremely noticeable.

"I'm going to shave it now." Riley's voice broke and he kicked open the door to the cabin, trudging away to Tarkov's building. Concurrently, Anthony snatched his harmonica from the desk and stormed out the bedroom, leaving an awestruck Tyler and Mark speechless.

XXX

"Tarkov, sir? Requesting permission for a haircut, sir!" Riley had entered the counseling building and stood outside of Tarkov's office. The old general rose from his chair and opened the door.

"Ahh, wanna turn into a man, do we? Fine. Get in here, now."

With a gulp Riley sat in the chair that Tarkov moved for him, and wrapped the tablecloth he was given around his shoulders. The counselor rummaged through a few drawers until he extracted an old pair of clippers, whose blades were dull and overused.

"How short?" He asked, snapping the plastic attachment off of the razor's head. Riley shrugged and asked to be surprised, so Tarkov clipped the "3" setting and began to shave. He carefully avoided the bloody patch of skin, peeling away scabs and matted hair in the process. Within six minutes, Riley Hansen's hairstyle was history. Holding up a rusted mirror, Tarkov smiled at his handiwork.

"Not bad! You've still got it, Tark!" He laughed loudly and tossed the clippers into the drawer. Riley thanked him and left the building with a heavy heart.

XXX

Anthony was sitting on the roof of Cabin three, playing his harmonica fervently. The music was forlorn, sorrowful, and full of emotion. Down in the cabins Rey Delafuente sat up suddenly. He heard his brother's playing and immediately rushed toward the sound. Anthony _never_ played the harmonica unless he was with his twin, or if he was extremely upset. Realizing his lack of presence Rey deducted his brother was angry.

He discovered his twin atop Cabin three, with his back turned towards Mt. Moon. With no preamble, Rey clawed his way onto the roof and confiscated the harmonica from him.

"What's wrong, Tony?" He asked. Anthony took a moment before speaking.

"I got in a fight. I got in a fight when I promised I wouldn't." Anthony imagined the disappointed look on his mother's face and frowned inwardly.

"With who? Why? You'd never hurt anyone! It was probably just a big misundersta—"

"I ripped out Riley's _hair, _Rey! It was bloody and disgusting and he _shaved it off_."

Reymundo Delafuente's mouth opened, partly because his brother actually succumbed to violence, but mostly because Riley had decided to shave his head. That's like saying Hiro had sworn off women.

"Why did you attack him?" Rey asked.

"He burnt my pants when I asked for a heater." He replied matter-of-factly.

Rey burst out laughing, causing Anthony to reach for his shirt.

"Ah Ah Ah! Don't want me to write Mom, do you? Then don't touch me."

"I thought you were supposed to be consoling me, not blackmailing me!" He shouted, hurt and betrayed. But Rey winked and swore he was joking. With this threat revoked, Rey helped his brother off of the roof and into the cabin to continue talking.

XXX

"_Attention campers! Be dressed and ready to go at 4 o'clock sharp! Wear dressy attire and bring one pokemon of your choice, please_!" Hunter's voice was serene over the speakers, and it was a nice change from the blaring tones of Tarkov.

Within the hour the campers had assembled in the mess hall, looking less dirty and more formal than usual. The girls had taken several hours preparing, and their hard work paid off.

Hunter had abandoned the skimpy counselor's outfit for a slim-fitting yellow dress. It hugged every curve of her body, and around her midsection was a large black ribbon. She had exchanged her hiking heels for a silky black pair of stilettos, and over her arm was a thin black jacket. Venice had adorned a knee-length black pencil skirt, and she wore a purple blouse with flowers embroidered up the side. She curled her hair for tonight's occasion and it cascaded down her back in immaculate tendrils. To match her blouse Espeon was curled at her feet. Kame had tossed her green converse away and replaced them with blue satin flats, and matched these with a strapless cerulean dress. It reached mid-thigh and the skirt flowed like water. Her naturally wavy hair was now straight, and her Swablu perched on her shoulder. Its cottony wings almost looked like a feather boa as it chirped happily.

Alex was also dressed in blue, her favorite color, and her outfit consisted of a long-sleeved shirt that clung to her frame. She had exchanged her old skirt for an appropriately long miniskirt, whose denim graced her mid-thigh. Snow was at her side, and the Glaceon smoothed the ribbon Alex had given her.

Talia had curled her hair, like usual, but now wore a peach-colored gown that stopped at her knees. She wore strappy orange sandals and a large flower was woven into her hair. On her fingers were an array of floral rings, and when they clinked together they chimed just as merrily as her Chingling did.

Kaiya had surprised everyone, Riley especially. Her black hair was straight, and it stuck out in just the perfect places, creating an adorable pixie-like persona. Her violet eyes were accentuated by a very feminine dark purple dress, complete with black heels and a black purse. Her Houndoom sat at attention near her.

Magden sat with her long legs crossed, and she had chosen the timeless cliché of a little black dress. The dress made her legs look a mile long, and she wore knee high black boots with a modest heel. In her hand was a gold clutch purse, and Surge sat in her lap.

Emily had graced a very sharp-looking red blouse, and wore tight dressy pants with gold buttons. Her hair was French braided and small red flowers had been clipped into it. Delcatty scratched at a red flower of her own and meowed with content.

Jessica's curly hair had been smoothed, and she wore a deep chocolate dress that covered her shoulders and reached her knees. On her feet were glittery gold and black sandals, and on her wrists were chunky brass bracelets. Her Cubone matched the browns of her skin perfectly.

The boys cleaned up nicely as well. AC had ditched the athletic garb for a red button-up shirt and dark grey slacks, and Magby's coloration correlated with his clothes. Around the fire-pokemon's neck was a black bowtie. The Delafuente twins also wore red, and the maroon color of their shirts brought out the red in their eyes. At Rey's feet was his electrode, and at Anthony's was his Vileplume.

James had combed his messy brown hair, and it seemed as if he visited Tarkov for a haircut as well. His ice blue eyes were now completely visible. On his torso was his black Johto Air Force Jacket, and the Zephyr badge around his neck glittered with the white dress shirt beneath it. On his long legs were loose black pants. His Garchomp stood a couple of inches taller than him, hissing low in its throat if anyone approached his personal space.

Berane wore all black, most likely in hopes of contrasting with his white hair. His multicolored eyes revealed his insecurity, but his body language seemed to rock the dressy threads with ease. His gloves were gone and his slender hands were stuffed into the pockets of a black pea coat. Alendra, his trusted Umbreon, groomed her sensitive ears repeatedly.

Mark wore a royal blue shirt and light grey pants, and his hair had been styled to perfection. He could hardly remove his eyes from Alex's legs, and it took three tries for Sarah to get him to look away. The Empoleon had a blue ribbon in the feathers on her crown.

Riley had removed his flannel for a white button down shirt, whose top three buttons were opened to reveal just enough of his toned chest. It was tucked into a pair of tight black slacks, and on his feet were newly polished dress shoes. In hopes of hiding the catastrophe that was his head, Riley had placed a black fedora over the bloody patches of skin.

Tarkov had put on his old uniform, complete with ribbons and medals. His nameplate was over his left breast pocket, and he completed the ensemble with his general's cover. His Nidoking roared at Daisuke's Munchlax, who had tried to consume his tail. Daisuke wore an amber-colored shirt to match his eyes, and a loose pair of black jeans. He wore suede lace-up vans and cut his hair. Normally chin-length, his red hair now jutted around his ears.

Hiro had removed his bracelets and replaced them with nicer ones. The normally vibrant forearms of the half-blind boy now donned black cuffs and the occasional leather braid. He wore a long-sleeved white shirt he had rolled up to his elbows and a pair of tight black slacks similar to Riley's. On his feet were black dress shoes and at his side was Jolteon, whose pointed fur shone like the sun. The top buttons on his shirt were open, but held together with a skinny black tie, whose knot was loose and hanging. The messy-yet-classy looked completely worked. When he caught Kame looking he flashed her a brilliant white smile. She blushed and turned away.

Vick kept his normal Tuxedo but exchanged the Teal goggles for some black ones, and Cameron had put on a pair of khaki slacks and an olive green shirt. Cameron was flanked by his Yanmega and Vick was accompanied by Duke, his Gallade.

The four counselors ushered the campers onto the bus, which had been scrubbed of its several inches of grime. The ride to Cerulean lasted only an hour, with a short detour through the recent prison of the campers. Some were uneasy to be in the cave again, such as Jessica and Tyler, yet the sinister chill was no longer present. On the other side of Mt. Moon the skyline of Cerulean city was visible.

"Where exactly are we going?" Kai shouted from the back.

"To the Cerulean Mansion for dinner and a ball. Tarkov and I had been invited and we asked if we could bring our campers. The hosts agreed quite enthusiastically." Hunter replied.

"A ball? As in _dancing_?" Berane gasped. Any form of activity which involved others, let alone in front of a crowd, were taboo to Berane. Dancing meant many opportunities for humiliation. Talia turned around and gave him an encouraging smile.

"Don't worry, I'll lead." She giggled, and turned to resume her conversation about makeup with Venice.

Riley nudged Berane with his elbow, and gestured towards Talia with a smirk.

"Go for it, man. She totally digs you." He gave him the thumbs-up and Berane gulped. This is exactly what he feared the most. If he got too close to Talia and something happened to her, he would feel responsible for not doing more. Or not doing enough. Just as he had failed to help with the fire. He touched his burn scar and felt his heart turn to stone.

XXX

Upon arriving at the well-manicured grounds of the Cerulean Mansion, Hunter handed the keys to the valet driver and lined up the campers.

"If any of you embarrass me or misbehave, there will be no mercy." Her voice was low and dangerous. Daisuke snickered and stepped on a nearby rose bush.

"_DID YOU HEAR ME, NAKAMURA? GET YOUR SHOES OUT OF THOSE ROSES_!"

From the mansion behind them, a middle aged woman emerged. Her orange hair was twisted into a knot on the back of her head—and at her side was a Corsola. She was wearing a maroon gown whose satiny hem brushed the floor.

"Ah, I thought I heard General Tarkov!"

Tarkov wheeled around and saluted the lady on the porch. She beckoned the campers inside and the students tentatively walked up the white marble steps. Through the glass entryway were white columns, high ceilings, and delicate chandeliers. The entire place looked like a fantasy came true.

"I'm so glad you could've made it, Hunter! And these must be your campers!"

Hunter nodded and proceeded with quick introductions.

"Oh my god! You're Misty! Misty Kasumi!" Hiro shouted. The woman nodded and laughed softly.

"Long ago I was the gym leader for the Cerulean City Gym. I believe this young man was one of my final battles?" Her turquoise eyes held many years of training within them.

"Yes! I was! And Jolteon remembers Corsola, of course!" The pokemon in question nuzzled affectionately with the pink pokemon.

"I'm retired now, but my husband and I encourage you to keep training and keep fighting!" She gave her signature peace sign hand gesture before turning towards the hall.

"Who is her husband?" Emily whispered to Jessica.

"Ash Ketchum! The four region champion!" She pointed to a man in a black suit and a rather battle-worn Pikachu. His hair was beginning to gray and he looked in his mid-forties.

"Please, come in and have fun!" Misty returned to her husband's side and they began to waltz. They elegantly spun across the marble floor with ease.

XXX

"So, Hunter. Wanna see how a real man can dance?" Hunter looked up from the champagne table in disgust. Without having to turn around, Hunter let out a long sigh.

"No, Vick. Leave me alone."

"So it's a yes, then?"

Hunter pivoted and crushed his toes with her stiletto. Vick cried out and clutched his foot in pain.

"I said no, you idiot!" She stormed to the other side of the ballroom to avoid him.

Meanwhile, Talia had managed to coax Berane onto the dance floor with her. Standing about seven inches shorter than him, she reached to grasp his hand and place the other on his shoulder. Talia's orange eyes met his multi-colored ones, and Berane swore his heart skipped a beat. Talia suddenly swept him into a brisk waltz, swaying and turning in tune to the music. Berane caught her rhythm and soon switched, taking the lead. Talia looked up at him and smiled, and Berane felt his reserve slipping. He felt as if he could be himself with her. He spun the small blonde around and reeled her back to him, pressing her against his chest just as the song ended. A bit taken, Talia looked up with surprised eyes.

"Is it okay if I kiss you now?" He whispered, worrying about sounding awkward. Talia giggled softly and leaned on her toes to press her lips to his.

"It's always okay, Berane." She replied. With that worry alleviated he pulled her into another dance.

XXX

"Hey you!"

Although Kai definitely heard a voice she was unsure of its location.

"Dammit. Kai!" The voice hissed again, and the sound came from behind her. She turned in her seat to see Riley, who was partially concealed in a fake plant.

"What the hell are you doing, Riley? Can't you just be freaking normal?" She growled, returning to her meal in contempt. She stabbed at a piece of salmon quite harshly before Riley spoke again.

"I'm being stalked!"

"Male or female?" She asked.

"Female. She's the girl in the hideous pink dress. 2 o'clock." Kai looked in the direction Riley told her and stifled a laugh. A short girl with long frizzy hair was looking around anxiously. Searching. Her dress had about a million sequins, and her sleeves were as puffy as a Snorlax's cheeks. On her face were pink cat-eyed glasses and in her mouth was a labyrinth of dental correction. Braces, retainers, expanders, and headgear were exposed when she called his name.

"Riley! Riley!"

Kai turned to laugh at her friend.

"Go over there! She's _totally_ in your league!" Riley rolled his eyes and moved out of the plant to sit next to her.

"Pretend like you're my girlfriend." He demanded.

"Uhhh, not likely?" She spat back.

"For the night, please?" He begged. Kai glared at him.

"Why are you using me?" She asked. Riley kept glancing at the girl, mentally tracking her movements. He looked at Kai and responded.

"Because no one else would be as good at it as you." The tone in his voice informed Kai he was sincere.

"Fine. I'll take it as a compliment. What do I have to do?"

The girl in pink suddenly spotted Riley and began sprinting to the table.

"There you are, snookums! I thought I'd lost you!" In her eyes were tears of joy. Riley grabbed Kai's hand and slammed it on the table.

"Yes, I was just on my way to go get my girlfriend! To uh—introduce you!" Kai smiled sweetly and gave the girl a wave.

"_She's_ your girlfriend?" She sounded skeptical that a person as amazing as Riley would ever date a girl who looked like Kai. Realizing the girl's assumption, Kai got angry. Fast.

"What's that supposed to mean, coming from someone like you? You've been stalking my boyfriend the entire night! I've _watched you do it_, so don't even try to deny it. Stay _away_ from him or answer to me!" She snarled. The girl ran away with more tears in her eyes. Kai exhaled sharply and sat down.

"Wow, Kai. You're a great actress. Thanks for covering for me." With that brief exchange he started to pick at the leftovers on Kai's plate.

The girl mumbled something inaudible beneath her breath.

"What did you say?" Riley asked between mouthfuls of food.

"Nothing, just continue your pig-out." She sighed.

XXX

James Curtis stood alone. He was perched on the outdoor balcony overlooking the ocean. The salty breeze caressed his face and tousled his hair gently. Jet, his Garchomp, was asleep against the stone railing. The trainer was currently in deep thought, and the quiet seclusion of the outcropping allowed this privilege. Although in the back of his mind he felt as if something were missing. Was it a presence? A voice? A setting? James could not place it. He stood in reverie for a few moments longer before retreating back into the party. He found himself walking through the crowds until he fell onto a familiar face: Venice's. He didn't ask his legs to carry him to her; It was almost as if they acted on their own accord. She paused her conversation with Magden to look at him briefly. She locked eyes with him for a millisecond—excused herself—and slipped into the crowd.

Magden gave James a condescending look.

"Boy, you better get a move on." She pointed him towards Venice and he hesitated before following her.

XXX

Venice wove through the dancers neatly, and did not stop until she found Hiro. He currently had one hand planted against the wall, and the other on his hip. He was facing a rather attractive girl with a green dress.

"Hey babe. You got a boyfriend?" He asked her.

"No." She giggled.

"Do you want one?" He grabbed a strand of her hair.

"Yes." She laughed once more.

"Well, when you want a _man_friend, come call me." He let her hair fall and turned to Venice. The girl who he had just rejected smacked him with her purse. Hiro laughed at her and she walked away crying.

"Wow you jerk." Venice almost ran off to console the other girl.

"Are you kidding? That was one of my exes. That beezy cheated on me with three different guys, and on one occasion when I caught her she denied it. She deserved that." Hiro extended the finger to her from across the room and she started bawling to her equally slutty friend.

"Whatever, forget about her! I think your tip about James is working!" Venice gushed excitedly.

"What makes you think that?" Hiro cocked an eyebrow as Venice launched into her story.

"James was staring at me the entire bus ride—and looked extremely surprised that I wasn't talking to him. Later on I was getting food and James looked like he was saving a seat for me—he sent two other girls away in hopes I would sit with him! And just now I was talking with Magden, and he stood right in front of me." She said, using one breath to relay the information.

Hiro rubbed his chin and spoke.

"Yes, he's in what I call stage one: unconscious need. James became so accustomed to fending off your flirting that it soon became routine to him—a necessity in his day. But now that your presence is absent—James' subconscious has spiraled into chaos. James still thinks you're overbearing and that you're nothing but a pretty flirt—but his subconscious is telling him that unless you're within ten feet of him, his brain won't work."

"Jeez, you've really got this thing down to a system, don't you?" She asked, bewildered.

Hiro tapped one finger to his temple and winked.

XXX

**So there was part one: the party! Also check my profile for an important announcement/update. Tell me what you think! **

**LOVE, Katie**


	9. Through the Roof the Evil Came

**ENTER MY MINIATURE COMPETITION. See profile for more details. Anyways here's chapter nine and have a Happy New Year! Shanks for the lovely reviews last chapter. Tell me whatcha think. BTW miniature scenes by ImaginationDomination and sjshark23 are my fav and they're featured in this chapter. They've sealed spots in the top five. So keep entering! **

XXX

"Do you want to dance?" A very attractive boy approached Alex and she accepted the offer a little too enthusiastically in Mark's opinion. He pulled her close to him and led her through an almost-too-sensual salsa. Anger burned within Mark, frankly because Alex looked as if she were having a great time. Mark wanted to interrupt their dance so badly it itched, but couldn't muster up the courage. Then, to his great elation, Hiro spun the girl he was currently dancing with away. He then pivoted and cut into Alex's dance when the boy leaned in for a kiss.

"Mind if I take over, rookie?" Hiro dipped Alex with such control her hair brushed the floor. The boy stormed off in rage. Alex laughed airily and danced with Hiro. Mark was about to get angrier until Hiro made eye contact with him. His expression clearly stated, "get your ass over here." Mark did what he was told and smoothly cut in from Hiro, who gave him a high five behind his back.

Mark mouthed a "thank you" and returned to his childhood sweetheart. Alex looked thrilled that Mark was her partner now, and the lusty thoughts about the other handsome face would never cross her mind again. They were only replaced with those same thoughts, yet the focus of them was Mark.

"Do I have to do everything around here?" Hiro asked himself aloud. He walked onto the balcony for fresh air, and relished the brisk sea breeze that filled his lungs. He leaned against the railing and looked over the edge. Straight down were the crashing waves of the ocean. The large glass door behind him creaked softly, and he turned to face Kame. She looked absolutely beautiful in Hiro's opinion, and he was about to tell her so until she spoke.

"Can I ask you something?"

Small red flags shot up in Hiro's brain. According to lady-talk, this meant something bad. _Real _bad. Hiro stood up a bit straighter and prompted her to continue.

"Why are you so flirty?" The question was not playful, light, or jocular. The question was curt and laced with malice.

"Do you want to know why I'm such a flirt, Kame?" He tried to redirect her pain with a dazzling smile.

She nodded once and stepped closer.

"Because I feel that whatever I'm deprived of, others deserve the chance for. So my lack of a stable family or a constant source of love is usually what drives my flirtatious behavior. I had virtually none of the love a child needs to develop correctly, so I guess I'm trying to make up for it now. But at least I'm a flirt and not some attention hoe, y'know?" He winked his blue eye and Kame laughed weakly.

"But it never seems that way. You make women seem…disposable." The words shook as they left Kame's lips and the instant she said them regret took over. Hiro's eyes looked hurt and he sighed before continuing.

"Kame. Women are not disposable. I flirt for three reasons. One: deprivation of love. Two: because it always makes for a good laugh, and it's become what I'm known for. And three: I love women. I always have. Sure some screw me over but in general women are the greatest thing sweet Arceus has ever created." Kame digested this for a moment and her worries began to dissipate. She assumed that she wasn't disposable to him, but like all women she needed constant reassurance.

"Are you sure I'm not?"

"You're not what, Kame?" Hiro's voice was soft and he leaned in near her face.

"_Disposable_." The word felt like poison.

Hiro gasped before putting his arm around her.

"Kame, you are so utterly wrong. Have I ever called you babe, honey, little mama, bon qui qui, sexy, or anything that I call the other 99% of women?"

She shook her head.

"I call you Kame because I like you, and I respect you enough to not flirt shamelessly with you. I'd never forgive myself." He wiped the tear tracks from her face with a slender thumb.

"You like me?" The skepticism was so evident that Hiro inwardly winced.

"What's not to like? You're very cute, funny, and unique. And you and I have something in common that no one else does—" He brushed her eye patch with his fingers. "—and that alone makes me like you, along with the million other things." His smile made Kame's heart convulse wildly.

Hiro reached for the edge of her eye patch and lifted it with his finger.

"Can I see your eye?" He asked.

It took her two minutes to nod and she prayed that Hiro didn't scream and run away. The boy peeled away the entire bandage until Kame Takeshi's eye was visible for the first time. Three jagged claw marks raked over her sclera, and on the exterior of the eyeball these marks left red stripes. The iris was broken and patchy, and the pupil was split into four sections.

"It's beautiful." Hiro declared. Kame threw her arms around the trainer, completely abandoning her shyness that usually overcame her. Someone finally could appreciate her eye for what it really was, and not torment her for it, like the horrible children from her school. After a shocked moment Hiro hugged back. He began to feel loved—real love—and not the fake lust he usually experienced. The change was such a relief that Hiro almost swore off flirting for good.

But almost isn't completely, is it?

- (imagination domination)

Hunter had managed to shake off her pursuer long enough to keep a keen eye on her campers. In light of the violence that took place earlier, she had suspected Riley had a pretty thick vendetta for the Delafuente boy. She slid through the crowd like a snake, undetected and utterly deadly. She caught Riley filling an already overflowing cup of punch and turning to the black-haired twin.

"Hansen! Put that cup down before I—"

Someone had tapped Hunter on the shoulder lightly, and never wanting to be rude, she faced her caller.

Vick stood there with his signature perverse smile and a gleam in his eye that was nothing but good.

"Hello again, beautiful."

Hunter's expression immediately darkened.

"How many times will I have to say no?" she said sharply.

"Aww, c'mon. I haven't even asked for anything." he pouted playfully.

"That's the whole point."

"Just one dance, babe. Indulge me." He extended a well-manicured hand and Hunter just stared at it. She shut her eyes in thought and waited a few moments.

"Well…I guess it's just _one_, right?"

"Really?" The excitement in his voice was obvious.

"Hell no."

The smile inverted until a crestfallen expression had splayed across the male counselor's face.

"Not cool, gorgeous. Playing with a man's emotions." He stepped closer and Hunter calculated the remaining distance between them.

"Neither is this!" She lifted her leg and moved to stomp on his other foot. Vick pulled his foot back in the nick of time, and Hunter's heel left a jagged mark on the marble floor.

"A soldier always anticipates the attack." He smirked.

"Oh do they? Hit me with your best shot, soulja-boy." The flirtatious tone in her voice shocked Vick momentarily but he regained his footing in an instant. Hunter sauntered over to Vick until she was inches away from his face. She raised her stiletto once more and crushed his toes. Vick immediately dropped to the floor, clutching his injury.

"Soldiers anticipate _attacks_, sure, but Hunters are always ready for the _kill_." She continued her path to intervene the "accidental" punch shower for the Delafuente, and Vick remained on the ground for a few moments.

"That was _so _hot." He breathed, massaging his throbbing foot. Hunter managed to confiscate the drink from Riley and pivoted to throw it away.

"Yeah, sexy, you take control!" He shouted, fearless of the beating he would probably receive. But the funny thing was that Riley's cup of punch never met the head of another camper. It was thrown across the lap of Vick Tatter, who gasped loudly at the sudden cold.

"Why don't you cool off now, pervert." Dumping the last drops over his face, Hunter dissolved into the crowd once more.

- (sjshark23)

Venice had narrowly avoided running into James by slipping into the pokemon playroom. In the high-ceilinged chamber the guests' pokemon mingled and frolicked—almost as if it were a party of their own. Her Espeon ran up to her excitedly, and leapt into her arms when she got close enough.

"Hello darling." She giggled as the cat licked her face.

She set Espeon down and failed to notice the silhouettes in the window. Against the blaring white of the full moon their figures were thrown into complete relief. But they scurried up the trellises outside before the young trainer could even look up.

The mahogany door creaked open behind her, and from behind it emerged James and Jet. The Garchomp left his master to run with the other pokemon.

Venice pretended she didn't see him and turned to leave.

But before she could reach the door James' hand caught her wrist.

"Come walk with me." He gently pulled her towards the balcony and led her outside. Venice said nothing and climbed up onto the railing. The breeze whipped through her dark hair, creating a veil-like appearance.

"Why are you avoiding me?" James said, deciding to be direct. An airy laugh escaped Venice's lips and this seemed like a warning to the trainer.

"Why should it matter? If I didn't know any better I'd say you liked me." The haughty tone her voice adopted irritated James, but he detected satisfaction in it as well. She liked the idea of him liking her.

"Hn," James grunted, shutting his eyes and turning away. Why, _why _did he freeze up like this? He did feel a strong attraction for her, but his desire for solitude prevented him from admitting his true feelings.

"C'mon, James. Admit it!" She placed a hand on his shoulder playfully. Normally James would've shrugged it off, but he decided it was time to stop hiding from his thoughts.

"Do you know why you unnerve me so much?" He asked, turning to look straight into her eyes.

"No…" She replied, her emerald gaze burning into his sapphire stare.

"You remind me so much of my mother." His tone was now bitter and he turned away once more, trying to choke down the pain. Venice wasn't sure if this statement was an insult—but settled on comfort as the main objective at that moment.

"She had the same color eyes as you do." He whispered.

"Had? James, what happened to her?" Venice was now confused. James had never mentioned his parents before, and the sudden divulgence of them surprised her.

"My mother was one of the most beautiful people I have ever known. She was a coordinator—won a few Grand Festivals in Johto—she never seemed to lose. She always told me to open up to people more, because I was too…introverted. Mom was always looking after me. But one night she took my father to a Contest—as a spectator—not a competitor. That's when everything went wrong." His voice broke and he clenched his fists tightly, almost as if he was living the pain. He breathed deeply before continuing.

"It was all so fast—there was nothing anyone could do. Some thug ran up to my mother and tried to steal her purse. My father tried to fight him off but he pulled a gun. He shot my father twice and stepped over his body to get to my mother. She was in hysterics. That lowlife put two bullets into my mother's body just to shut her up. All for what? Her wallet with twenty bucks in it?" The hot tears flowed openly now, and his rambling was cut short with Venice's lips. James' chest heaved with sobs that had never been shed, and emotions that now spilled out rapidly.

"Don't hold back your emotions, James." Venice told him, pulling him close. He placed his head into the hollow of her neck as he sat down. His body was half-sitting, half-laying down on the stone bench. Venice slowly ran her fingers through his hair, and the motion was so comforting he began to calm down. His mother would always comb her fingers through his hair when he couldn't sleep.

"Thank you, Venice. You're the only person I've ever told about my parents."

"You should open up to people more, James. Your mother was right. Don't push people away, pull them toward you." With that note she moved a bit closer to the trainer and he snaked his arm around her waist.

"Is it okay if we keep my parents a secret? I'm not ready to let everyone know just yet." He sat up to look in her eyes, and while doing so the icy gaze seemed to melt just a little.

Venice nodded and kissed him.

"You can keep that a secret, too." She said. James shrugged in that "works-for-me" manner and leaned in for another kiss.

XXX

"The blue wire."

"This one?"

"The blue one."

"So that one."

"_BLUE_."

"Okay jesus. Get on my back, much?" Sari pulled the wire cutters from her pocket and carefully snipped the blue wire. The man with the golden eyes quickly took the two ends of the frayed cord and plugged them into a small device. He clicked a few buttons and a timer with five minutes appeared on the tiny screen.

"Listen up." The man then stood and walked over to his accomplices. Their numbers were many, with probably ten or eleven men standing on the roof of the mansion. Zara, the Zangoose, retrieved a large scroll and rolled it out between the criminals. The paper was revealed to be of the mansion's blueprints.

"Objective: Map the area and obtain prisoners. We need these two, specifically." The man slapped down two candid pictures of Hiro and Kame.

"Why them? These are mere children!" One accomplice barked.

The Zangoose hissed and her master silenced her.

"In due time. The lights will cut in five minutes. Get in position and wait for my signal."

XXX

"This party sucks." Daisuke sneered, spitting out a rather intricate appetizer into a wrinkled napkin. Emily sampled the same morsel and found it quite tasty. She helped herself to another despite a horrified look from the ginger-haired boy.

"It's good." She offered him another try and he declined. Daisuke walked down the food tables until he reached something familiar—the champagne. He always enjoyed a stiffer drink, but the substance would make do for now. He grabbed a glass and poured it into the opaque cups designated for the non-alcoholic drinks. Deciding the glass could be filled to the brim he dumped another flute within it. Emily's mouth dropped in utter shock—partly because Daisuke had the gall to drink, but mostly because no one noticed him taking any. The boy downed his cup in three gulps and refilled it. Emily glanced around frantically as he took the champagne—and tried her best to look as if she wasn't part of his deviousness. After the fifth glass Daisuke's speech was horribly slurred.

"Emily—you're really _fffriggin_ hot, y'know that?" He laughed loudly and a few adults turned their heads. Emily dragged Daisuke to the floor and under the table. The couple was cramped beneath the lace tablecloth and the proximity of their faces allowed Emily to smell Daisuke's alcohol-ridden breath.

"Ahh ha ha! Close quarters, I see! Wanna kish?" He puckered his lips and Emily shoved him away.

"You're drinking, you idiot! Can you not be a complete rule breaker for just one night?" She grabbed his face in desperation and he smiled at her touch.

"Can we just stay under here?" He asked.

She sighed loudly and agreed—it was better than getting in trouble.

XXX

Anthony was currently keeping two things on tabs: the location of Riley and the location of Rey. His twin had gone missing for the past half-hour, and dodging a vendetta-driven Riley became strenuous. The older Delafuente located his brother in a shady corner with some girl tangled in his arms. They were kissing furiously, and from Anthony's angle he wasn't sure whose limbs belonged to whom. A fit of anger stole Anthony's mind—his brother always used girls in this way and he hated it.

Pulling apart the lust-filled teens, Anthony gave his brother a hard glare.

"Let her be, Rey. You know what you're doing." The girl slipped a piece of paper into Rey's open palm before leaving. Her Purugly hissed at Anthony and he aimed a kick at it. It scampered away with its promiscuous master.

"What was that for, Ant? Can't you just let me have a little fun?" He watched the girl look back before returning to the hard stare of his brother. Anthony sighed.

"What's her name?"

"Uhhh…"

"That's why I'm stopping you. Stop using girls, Rey. You're just as bad as Hiro or Riley. Or Vick, for that matter." He pointed to the counselor who was reaching for the hem of Hunter's dress.

"I don't flirt with girls like they do, I just kiss them!"

"Grow up, Rey. Sooner or later this ish is going to catch up with you." He poked his twin in the chest for emphasis and walked away.

Another girl walked by and gave Rey a second glance.

"Hey! Wait up!"

The chase was on.

XXX

"General Tarkov. Are you enjoying yourself tonight?" Misty Kasumi sauntered back to the counselor and briefly touched his arm with a gloved hand. He nodded stiffly and gestured to her husband.

"What's it like being married to a master like that?" Tarkov was actually keeping an eye on his campers and keeping Mrs. Ketchum entertained.

"Oh it's wonderful. I always knew it was love ever since Ash stole my bike all those years ago. We were so young then, so full of life." With aged eyes she glanced at the children.

"They're in good care, Nikolas." She patted his arm as Ash Ketchum joined his wife.

"General Tarkov, so nice to see you. I trust that your pokemon are in fighting shape?"

"Never been outta shape, what about your Pikachu?" The electric mouse turned at its name and waved at Tarkov. He crouched to inspect its form.

"Impressive," He noted, poking the arm of the pokemon. "Even with its age it's in top shape."

Ash nodded proudly.

"I've noticed that whenever we train now—" Ash was cut short by a loud, drawn out scream. The lights in the entire building cut and the party was thrown in darkness. Windows shattered and glass rained on the guests, and the ground seemed to shake from the floor to the roof. People began to run—and in the lack of light many smaller people were trampled.

A beam of light shot down from a large hole in the ceiling, and a large group of people shimmied down ropes thrown through. A Zangoose was the last to leap down through the chasm.

At Hiro's side Kame froze—the pokemon terrified her on the spot. He grabbed her hand pulled her behind him slowly.

A man with a gruesome mask kicked over an ice sculpture and stood on the table it previously occupied, opening his arms before speaking.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. May I present…tonight's entertainment!" His accomplices released their pokemon and they began to terrorize the crowd. The beasts tore at women's gowns, and attempted to claw at the faces of the men. Everyone scattered, and the pandemonium was increased when the guest's pokemon began to fight back, eager to protect their masters. Bubblebeams, thunderbolts, and flamethrowers alike now danced among the people. Hiro knocked Kame to the ground and called out Torterra, whom he commanded to protect her. Meanwhile he released the other pokemon he smuggled into the party, directing them to attack.

"There, that's the boy! Grab him!" The Venusaur of a rather beefy-looking grunt used its vines to wrap Hiro, but upon command his Charizard burnt them to a cinder. The beast roared in pain and retreated.

Torterra was in a full battle with multiple Bronzor and Raticate, stomping on the unfortunates and desperately trying to protect Kame. She avoided the turtle's movements while staying hidden beneath his shell. Realizing Kame's location three men dived for her. Hiro abandoned the assailant he was currently fighting to tackle her, shielding the girl from the men.

Ash's Pikachu electrocuted the Zangoose terrorizing Misty's Corsola, and proceeded to land a powerful Iron Tail on Zara's back. Kame's Swablu comforted the Coral pokemon once they were in a safe area. Ash Ketchum secured his wife by his side and began to launch a counterattack upon the intruders. After a bloody battle a helicopter rose over the gap created by the explosives. Wounded and in defeat, the attackers left the party just as dramatically as they came. After Ash's Pikachu shocked the fuse box into working condition—every partygoer gasped. The walls were filled with the same paintings on the cave wall. Jessica screamed loudest—the ghastly images of the black pokemon plagued her dreams and kept her awake.

But this time two people stood in the light—away from the bloody beast. They were painted in small proportion to the pokemon, and the couple held hands. Where their eyes would be were black spots. A small halo of incandescence surrounded them—and from the looks of the paintings it would stop the terror of the pokemon.

But sadly, the couple was surrounded by dark, distorted figures, whose claws were within inches of their delicate forms.

It seemed as if good never caught a break.

XXX

**And there we have it. Please review. **

**Love, Katie. **


	10. MicroChapter: Down by the River

**Updating as fast as I can—school already sucks and I've only been back for two days. T_T**

**Tell me what you think, as always! **

**OH AND FOR THE OXYGEN MASK B.S.—IT'S LIKE THE RED THINGS IN THIS LINK (.com/watch?v=F8F1Vw0hPSE)**

**XXX**

Story Start:

The counselors and campers alike stayed with Misty and Ash to help compensate for the wreckage of their home. Scrubbing the horrid images off the walls were one thing, but a lot of money would be put into fixing windows, reconstructing the ceiling, and replacing the furniture that had been destroyed by Team Orion. Cameron, so eager to get into the fight, took extensive notes and pictures of the paintings before they were washed away.

"Look, Yanmega. Have you ever seen any pokemon like that?" He pointed to the largest depiction that had been scrawled over the enormous hearth. The abomination now had its head tilted towards the moon, and its clawed arms were outstretched to the celestial bodies above it. Humans and pokemon were running frantically, and most were lying in bloody heaps at its feet. Beams of light from the moon, and the three planets leading up to it, cast their power on the pokemon. On a hill in front of it were a group of people dressed in black, and at their sides were assorted Bronzor and Raticate. Upon inspection the Yanmega buzzed in confusion. Cameron touched the red paint and pulled his fingers back at its wetness. He smelled the substance and almost gagged.

"What is it?" Hunter noticed Cameron's study and fell next to him. He gingerly licked his pointer finger and spat the red matter out.

"B-blood!" He shouted. At the word's mention everyone's head whirled around.

"They've painted their prophecies in blood!" Cameron lost his normalcy (calm and reserved) and had to be settled by Hunter. Tarkov skeptically ran his hand over the "blood" and tasted his reddened fingers.

"Hm, it's pokemon blood. Most likely from a dark type." Suddenly getting an idea, he walked to another "masterpiece" and touched the red areas. Every taste, he deducted, was from a different type of pokemon. When he counted the paintings there were seventeen.

"So this can mean two things: One, they're conducting crude experiments on pokemon and drawing their blood, like some sort of black magic. Or two, they're mercilessly slaughtering pokemon in a possible sacrificial manner." Vick quipped.

Talia clapped a hand over her mouth—hurting pokemon was tantamount to a capital crime in her mind. Berane noticed her shock and placed a hand on her back, and upon the contact she turned into his chest.

"Is everyone okay? No injuries?" Hiro rose just then, and his right arm fell limp at his side.

"Something bit me." He groaned, removing some of the black bracelets to reveal a festering wound. Cameron instantly inspected the injury and looked up in horror.

"These bite marks aren't from any pokemon I've ever seen." His statement was just above a whisper, but in the stunned silence of the hall his words were heard.

"What do I do?" Hiro gasped, sitting down quickly. Hunter came with a small first aid kit and sprayed an antiseptic on it. Hiro screamed at its contact and she stopped.

"Don't touch it! Stop touching it!" He drew back his arm and looked at it. The bite marks were purple and oozed slowly, and the skin around it was raised and itchy. Kame's Swablu flit to Hiro's side and began patting it with its cottony wings, trying to clean the gaping sore. When it was finished the appendage was slightly more presentable, but still gruesome. Hunter decided then that bandages would have to suffice—and wrapped it multiple times. Kame helped her friend up off of the floor and the campers began trudging towards the foyer.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Ketchum."

"Hunter, please don't fret. We've got the money to fix it, we're just glad that no one was hurt. Please get back safe." Misty ushered the group outside and bid them farewell. Ash looked up to the sky in fear—all the troubles of his past, whether it be battles with legendaries, or run-ins with other evil organizations, there was always a way to pull through. But never had he seen horrors similar to those of Team Orion's. He glanced upward at the full moon—and the three stars to its right. They were in a zigzag pattern and seemed to be able to form a perfect line.

"Orion." He mumbled.

"What did you say, dear?" Misty asked.

"_Orion! Orion's Belt! The constellation_! Misty, something's going to happen when those things align with the moon!" He shouted so loud his wife almost jumped out of her skin.

"Where were you when we figured this out earlier?"

Ash Ketchum looked back and tried to remember.

"Ah, I was in the bathroom."

"Joy."

XXX

Ever since that fateful night at the Cerulean Mansion, the sun had not appeared in the sky. Despite the hot summer climates its rays didn't penetrate the camp. Hiro's arm had almost completely healed—yet left a sinister mark on his olive skin. The teeth marks had almost shifted—it seemed—and they now formed a spiraling pattern on his arm. The marks were deep and purple and refused to heal.

But soon the eerie sense of fear had dissipated—and the normal routine of Camp Catchem'all had resumed for the time being. Many had spent the last nights sleeping early, writing home in a panic, and always accompanied each other.

"_IT'S BACK TO CAMPING, LADIES! MEET IN THE MESS HALL AT ELEVEN THIRTY FOR FURTHER DIRECTIONS_!" Tarkov had obviously been granted his PA privileges back, for the ex-general's voice seemed to lift the mood of the campers.

In the mess hall, Cameron had rearranged the wooden tables and crude blackboard into a primitive classroom. On the long serving table that now acted as a teacher's desk, were multiple pokeballs and a large tank of water.

"All right guys, class starts now and ends at one o'clock. So take out your notes and listen up!" Yanmega was perched on a chair a few feet away and buzzed at Riley, who was lagging.

"I plan on covering water types today, to give you a basis of knowledge for when we camp at the rivers and lakes. The first thing we need to know, obviously, is that water types are hydrophilic. And sadly, for many types of water pokemon, battling on land is giving you an extreme disadvantage, despite moves like Water Sport. For coordinators, water can be a beautiful element to any routine—adding shine and splendor to any pokemon. When used in contests, Water-type moves typically become Beauty moves, but can also be any of the other four Contest types. Breeders—we know basic water pokemon can dually switch from gills to lungs—in the case of Magikarp, Goldeen, Seaking, Lanturn, Octillery, etcetera. And being the most versatile of the seventeen types, there are ninety two species within water pokemon. Lastly, for trainers, a water type can add a well-rounded element to any team. Defensively, the Water-type is very strong when combined with high defensive stats. Every Water-type, with the exception of Magikarp, can use Ice-type moves to counter Grass-types, and Electricity is the only true threat to Water-types. That isn't the case if the Pokémon in question are part Ground like Quagsire, Swampert, Whiscash, and Gastrodon, in which their Electric weakness is nullified but their Grass weakness is more effective. Water-types often have the most balanced attributes, usually coming with decent Attack, Special Attack, and Defense stats, but below average Speed." He picked up a blue pokeball while the campers jotted down notes—and released it in the large tank. Inside was a Huntail—and its slick scales shone whenever it changed direction.

"Can anyone tell me about this pokemon?" Cameron asked.

Magden raised her hand and answered his question correctly.

"Good. Huntail is one of the final forms of Clamperl, and from this we also see dual-evolution…"

The lesson carried on to include one on one interaction with Feebas, a Milotic, numerous Magikarp, and a Wartortle. Cameron asked the campers to bring out their water pokemon, if any, and to report to the river down the mountain. Once the campers/water types were assembled, Cameron immediately prompted them into the river. Eager to get out of the muggy heat, the trainers complied.

"Today's challenge is to master the art of battling water types, and to do this we're going to the underwater stadium." Cameron tossed the backpack full of oxygen devices on the ground and they were eventually distributed. The devices were small, had two red handles on the sides, and fit in the mouth like a moldable retainer.

"Bite down on the mouthpiece until you hear the fan start—but it's very important that you don't bite down again or the oxygen converter will not work." Cameron bit on the red plastic and the tiny rotors whirred to life. He leapt into the lake and swam next to his Kingdra, who gracefully sliced through the river's soft current. Riley, detesting water in its many forms, had to borrow a Croconaw from Cameron's lesson pokemon. Stripping to his boxer-briefs and breathing deeply, he entered the water. Kai followed behind him, laughing silently with her Buizel. Magden practically strutted into the water, splashing the already-angry Riley with her Feraligatr's hydro pump. Riley feinted as if he was going to shove her—but before he could even execute the pseudo-attack AC had stepped in front of her.

"Not a chance." He growled, low enough only for Riley's ears. Taken aback, he waded into deeper waters. AC had paired with Madgen, for her Feraligatr was such an enormous thing that if sufficed for both trainers. But due to Cameron's insistence he was forced to parade a Magikarp. Tyler pulled a pair of goggles over his face and let Ambria, his Vaporeon, out for a swim. Kame and Emily also borrowed pokemon—and from the basket they had chosen Finneon and Lumineon. Alex sported her Floatzel, Water, who was always eager for a battle. In her wake was Mark with his temporary Cloyster. Hiro was set with his trusty little Mudkip, and James had pulled a Carvanha from the depths of Torvenal's stash. Venice sunbathed idly on the back of Blaster, her Blastoise, and Daisuke's Sharpedo craved the river's flow. Jessica's Golduck was swimming alongside her. The Delafuente twins asked to borrow water pokemon as well, and from the depths of Cameron's bag were a Starmie and a Corsola. Talia and Berane had picked both genders of the Shellos, and chomping on their air supplies, the couple jumped in the cool stream. Cameron directed the C.C. campers downstream for a mile, and turned sharply with his Kingdra. They dropped lower and down into a small tunnel. In addition to the cool temperature, the water was surprisingly clear, and every camper could be distinguished as clearly as day. The path they swam along was leading into a small tunnel, and the Lumineon and Finneon's scales glowed brightly in the darkness. On the other side Cameron swam to the bottom and opened a satchel on Kingdra's back. It fell to the floor with a loud thud and inside it were aqua socks. He placed a pair on his feet and he slowly drifted to the bottom until he stood.

"Grab a pair, everyone! We're going to tag battle, so partner up!" Everyone was shocked at the technology of the converters—and tentatively began speaking.

"Okay, who wants to go first?" Cameron placed his hands on his hips in disdain when no one volunteered.

"Fine then. Hiro, since you're looking off into space. And Hansen—just because you need a little change from fire." The two trainers fist bumped before wading over to the ring. It had been laid out in thick, slimy rope and the center ring was lined in rocks. Hiro's Mudkip and Riley's Croconaw tread water excitedly, eager for the battle.

"What's with the long face, Takeshi? You and Kai, step up!" His Kingdra gently nudged Kame in the back. She never wanted to battle Hiro; she never wanted to inflict pain on him and his pokemon. Kai, on the other hand, was always eager for a chance to prove how good she was. Kame's Finneon swam circles around the battle-ready Buizel.

"Ladies first!" Riley cooed, and Kai rolled her eyes.

"All right, Buizel! Use Aqua Jet!" Buizel gathered a torrent of water and began barreling towards the Croconaw.

"Dodge it and use Bite!" the crocodile opened its gaping maw and waited for the exact moment to pivot, grab, and clamp onto Buizel's floatation-device neck pad. It cringed but thrashed for a few moments until it was free. Kame meekly ordered a Silver Wind from her Finneon—whose wing-like fins shone brightly before heading for Mudkip. The mudfish pokemon waited for new commands. Hiro snapped his fingers and Mudkip propelled itself out of harm's way using the large tailfin at its rear. It turned sharply, and with another crack of Hiro's fingers the Mudkip shot a Hydro Pump at the Finneon. It was pushed around thirty yards away and was dizzied by the blast. It countered with Pound and Mudkip was caught off guard. Riley's Croconaw abandoned the Ice Fang it had planned for Buizel and targeted Finneon. The poor "Beautifly of the sea" was frozen solid.

"Status changes like sleep and ice are deciding factors for victory! We've got a lot of battles to go through, and you're all playing by my rules today." Cameron called, returning to a lawn chair he seemed to have produced from thin air. Kingdra laughed under its breath as the ice-block of a Finneon clinked against the bottom. With one enemy felled, the Mudkip and Croconaw turned its attention to Kai's Buizel. Upon her request it attacked fiercely with a set of Sonic Booms, both of which landed their target.

"Croconaw, hold Buizel down!"

"And Mudkip, use Rock Tomb!" The tiny pokemon plunged its head fin into the ground and heaved, burying the Buizel in a pile of rocks. When Kai unearthed her poor pokemon it had fainted.

"Victory to Hansen and Taminama!"

XXX

Magden and AC completely decimated Jessica and Tyler—and Talia and Berane lost to Daisuke and Emily due to status changes. Alex and Mark came out victorious, and their pokemon managed to defeat the Delafuente twins. James had to fight Venice—and the Carvanha he had taken from Cameron proved to be unstoppable. Utterly shocked, Venice called back Blaster and began to brood. Once everyone had received a chance to battle with a water type, Cameron collected the weighted water socks and the campers began to float to the surface. After a short trip upstream they emerged from the depths slowly, so as to not get lightheaded. Everyone's oxygen converter was returned as well, and after drying off in the hot summer sun (which had finally made an appearance) they headed back to camp for dinner. The sun blazed over the peaks of Mt. Moon, igniting the sky in a fiery inferno. Its scorching red glare felt good on Riley's back—as the wet, cold waters of the river had perturbed him for the entire afternoon.

"_Dinner is in ten minutes, campers. And Hunter, please come see me in my office immediately_." Vick's suave voice resounded through the loud speaker, and an enraged growl could be heard through the PA system. It was assumed he had left the button on, for the entire exchange following Vick's summoning could be heard out of the speakers.

_"What did you call me here for?" _

_"Hunter, darling, I was just wondering if you'd like to be my company on the night hike today." _

_"No." _

_"No consideration?" _

Aloud clanging could be heard, and following the noise it sounded as if glass was being broken.

_"Vick, did anyone ever teach you about personal space?" _

_"Baby, all I know is that personal space is a myth. There's nothing better than being close to you."_

_"Come closer, I dare you." _

_"Don't say you didn't ask me—AHH!" _

A severe buzzing blared out of the speakers and the feed cut short. Hunter stalked out of the counseling building holding Tarkov's rusted clippers. Vick stumbled out a few moments later clutching his head. The vibrant pink locks that had been so carefully gelled were gone. The only thing that remained was a few centimeters of pink hair and some bald spots. Satisfied, Hunter joined the rest of the congregation and helped herself to some spaghetti, the main attraction on the night's menu.

Vick, realizing the entire camp had witnessed his small misfortune, did not make it to dinner that night.

XXX

"Wanna make like Lady and the Tramp?" AC whispered, twirling a mound of spaghetti onto his fork. Magden looked up from her food and sighed loudly.

"No, you mangy mutt, the idea of your lips touching mine, even if it's through the romantic cliché of sharing a spaghetti noodle, is not appetizing to me." She spat.

"Woo, AC! Gonna need to call a fire department for that burn!" Tyler shouted, and Jessica couldn't help but giggle as well. AC shrugged and dusted off his shoulders.

"She'll come around, just wait. No one can resist me." Magden rolled her eyes very conspicuously and AC laughed again.

Meanwhile, Alex and Mark had finished their meals and decided to take a short stroll in the moonlight. Or lack of it, because the moon was new. The sky was dark and the usually bright stars were a bit dimmer.

"I don't really care for Italian." Mark said, trying to break the silence that had fallen between them. Alex nodded and pulled her jacket closer to her.

"Italian is okay, but I can't stand Chinese food." She replied.

"Are you crazy? Chinese food is the best!" Mark yelled, and a nearby flock of Spearow flew out of the tree they had been perching in.

"Stop yelling, doofus, you're scaring the pokemon!" Alex laughed. Mark cut in front of Alex and got close in her face. He looked up between his eyelashes and breathed slowly.

"Do I scare you?" He whispered.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Alex asked, taking a step back and looking her friend in the face. Did he get a bad case of Hypnosis from the Milotic?

"I asked, 'Do I scare you?'" Alex shook her head no and gave an unsure smile. Mark suddenly lunged for her and she flinched, gasping sharply.

"You liar! You _are_ scared of me!" Mark's face was an exaggerated expression of shock and the girl scoffed.

"Just wait, Markus Pearl."

"Until what? You cry on me?" He poked her playfully and he batted away his hand.

"No, for this!" Alex launched herself airborne and collided with Mark's stomach. The couple suddenly began tumbling down a grassy hill and landed (rather awkwardly) at the bottom. Mark kept completely still as one solitary fact dawned on him: Alex Cesarini was on top of him. Yet this did not alarm him, or excite him, it merely was a comforting feeling. Mark loved human contact and this was more than enough to suffice. Alex stared at Mark with happy eyes, and made no effort to start to get off of him. Mark reached up and pulled bits of grass and plants from Alex's long brown hair, and Alex gently wiped the mud from Mark's cheek.

"You're really pretty, Alex." Mark mumbled.

"You can't even see me! There's no light." She laughed. But Mark shook his head and smiled.

"I don't have to see you to know."

Alex's heart skipped a few beats. Markus Pearl had actually called her pretty.

XXX

"Sari, do you not understand the importance of this mission? The disaster at Cerulean Mansion is extremely embarrassing, and has turned our reputation to shame! What do you have to say for yourself?" The Zangoose man said. Sari shrugged and stared off into space.

"I don't even know anyone in the organization. The first time I saw them was the night of the raid. How can I expect to be good at being evil if I don't even know my accomplices?" She whined.

The man with the Zangoose nodded in reluctant agreement and called a brief meeting. Nine people eventually filled the conference room of Team Orion. The low-ceilinged space looked like a cave, and black marble covered every surface. Zara the Zangoose perched herself on a ledge above the meeting and looked upon the members with calculating eyes.

"Because Sari has identity issues, I've called you all here to introduce you. Yet I apologize beforehand, Ms. Iralla, for I cannot reveal our true identities to you. But I am willing to divulge our codenames to you. You probably do not know this, so I am explaining it to you now. The stars that make up the constellation of our namesake, Orion's Belt, have nine bodies in it. I am Betelgeuse, the brightest and largest star in the constellation. Therefore, I am leader. And around the table we have Rigel, my second in command, the second brightest star. We have the sisters, Bellatrix and Mintaka, who are ruthless in battle and as lustrous as the stars they are named for. Alnilam and Alnitak are at the far end of the table, and Saiph and Hatsya are the people to your right. Together, we embody the picture of the great hunter Orion, and it is said that this hunter possessed an all-powerful pokemon."

Sari sat with her mouth open.

"You guys are a bunch of cult followers! Crackheads!" She shouted.

Betelgeuse rolled his eyes and slammed his hand on the table.

"We are trying to revive and strengthen Orion's pokemon. The beast became too strong for a hunter as great as Orion, and using the power of the legendaries he sealed it within the earth." Betelgeuse explained to a skeptical Sari.

"So you're telling me this great, _mortal,_ hunter had an all-powerful pokemon, and it grew too strong to handle so he sealed it in the earth? Isn't that kind of a load of bull? Where is your proof?"

"Why else would Arceus create a picture of him in the sky? Why else would the place he lived, our headquarters, be teeming with a power we can't explain?" To prove his point he dropped a pen he had retrieved from his pocket. Before landing on the table the pen stalled, floating in midair.

Sari was extremely convinced now.

"Can I have a star name, too?" She asked.

"Hm. I like Sari, but I guess to be official you can be the smallest star, Meissa. You form Orion's head."

"Well damn straight I do, I'm the brains of this operation."

XXX

**Sorry to take so long, but this little filler is all I can crank out of my test-exhausted brain. I hope you like it, so tell me what you think. **

**Thanks for waiting my lovely readers. **

**-Katie**


	11. The Iron Chef Bleeds Grease

**Hello people. Sorry to keep everyone waiting for so long—school's a nightmare. Here's chapter 11! Tell me what you think, as always. Thank you for staying loyal! And PLEASE take note that all culinary measures are NOT TO SCALE. Haha I'm a terrible cook and I'm making up the portions! Thank you!**

**Love, Katie**

XXX

Story Start: (June 25th)

With a little less than a week left in Kanto, the campers of Camp Catchem'all were eager to see as much of the region as they could with the small time allotted. Sadly, field trips had to be approved by the counselors, and none of them seemed willing.

"Do you honestly think I'd take you little delinquents wherever you wanted to go? Honestly?"  
Tarkov's voice had recently been strained—and his lectures/rants/orders were now barked in an extremely softer tone.

"Please, Tarkov? We could start our journey to Johto early, and on the way we could stop at a few cities!" Emily asked. Tarkov shook his head and led them back towards the mess hall. He swung open the wooden doors and waited until every camper filed into the building. Hunter, Vick, and Cameron were already inside, assembled behind an enormously long table.

"What are we doing today?" Mark asked, sliding his way around Talia and next to Tarkov.

"We've decided to hold a little competition." Tarkov smiled and strode over to the table. Hunter handed him a small bundle of clothes and he shook open a striped apron. He pulled the garment over his head and tied the strings behind his back. After cracking his neck and his knuckles, he addressed the teenagers.

"On today's menu is a cooking contest!" The terrible pun only drew a few laughs from the on looking campers, but Cameron seemed to get the best kick out of it. Unaware of his loud laughter, Yanmega buzzed in his ear. His face turned red and he tried to pass it as a cough. Hunter distributed aprons to everyone and inhaled to speak.

"As most of our challenges go, you will be paired with one camper. Your challenge will be to assemble the best dish you can from the country you draw out of this hat." She produced a battered top hat from under the table and dumped a baggie full of paper slips into it. She mixed the paper around walked towards the door.

"Aren't you coming? We've got a kitchen to catch!" Sharing confused looks, the campers and three remaining counselors followed Hunter out of the mess hall. She led them to the buses and ordered them on.

"We're taking a slight detour down to the Culinary School in Vermilion City. In their facilities are approximately fifty stoves, one hundred ovens, two hundred sinks, and an unfathomable number of utensils. Due to the great relations Vick has with the Dean, they've taken an honorary snow day to allow our competition." Feeling the sweat on their backs, the campers thought the snow day idea was pretty ironic. The bus ride only took an hour, and the campus of the school was almost as breathtaking as the Cerulean Mansion. There was a miniature lake in front of the buildings, and the exterior of the school was an intricate weave of brick and stone. Chimneys of every length, all black iron, protruded from the roof to form a metallic forest. The windows were arched, and the panes were a gleaming surface of tinted glass. Upon entering the school a thousand aromas filled the senses of the campers, and more than one ravenous stomach could be heard echoing in the hall. Vick led the way into the kitchens. A larger venue was set aside for the campers, and miniature cooking stations were dispersed around the room. Each station included an oven, stove, sink, cutlery set, measuring set, and pair of chef hats.

"Line up, good-for-nothings! I'm going to pair you off, and when that's established see Hunter for your country." Tarkov proceeded to randomly pair people together, and the mixes were generally oddities. Daisuke was paired with Jessica, who groaned when she drew Turkey from the hat. After them came Talia and Magden, who had received Cuba as their country. Emily and Berane chose Ireland, and Hiro and Kai ended up with Mexico. Kame and Riley plunged their hands into the hat and withdrew China, and France had been given to AC and Tyler. Mark and Alex had picked Italy, and despite groans from the blue-eyed boy Alex was quite pleased. Germany was the country that Venice and Anthony ended up with, and Rey and James had been assigned Japan.

"Let's get moving! You've got two hours!" Tarkov yelled, coughing harshly after the sudden blast at his vocal chords.

XXX

"Germany...what the hell comes from Germany?" Venice exclaimed, running a hand through her long hair. Anthony smiled and replied.

"Beer, hot girls, sausage, sauerkraut, sausage, hot girls, beer—_ow_!" Venice punched Anthony's arm in triumph.

"Sausage! Perfect! My grandmother taught me how to make sausage when I was little! YES!" Venice did a little dance around the kitchenette, and her apron bounced along with her. She proceeded to go back to the _ridiculously_ diverse supply closet and gathered a pound of pork, a half-cup of ground sage, a pound of pork casing, some apple cider, and some other spices. She sent Anthony away to fetch a grinder and the casing feeder.

After about twenty minutes of mixing Anthony began to push the spiced pork through the grinder. It fed out of the other side in red, chunky clumps, and Venice began to shape the pork with her hands.

"Hey baby, can't you handle my meat any gentler?" Anthony smirked, and Venice's jaw dropped. James, who was at the next station over, began to fume.

"Shutup, Tony! You wish this was your meat!" Venice growled, throwing a bit of raw pork at his face. The meat stuck to his cheek and slid down slowly. Trying not to laugh, Venice began casing the sausage. As it came out of the other side, she twisted the links clockwise until a four-sausage chain was coiled on a plate.

"Quick, wash the grinder and the case feeder!" Venice ordered. She attended to the sausage by putting it into a pan with some butter. Hearing no activity from her partner, she turned to address him again. Tony had his hands stretched in front of his zipper, and then moved the measurement over to the leftover sausage.

"Yeah, that's pretty accurate." He mused.

"What are you doing?"

"Putting my own sausage into perspective." With a wink Venice pseudo-gagged and returned to their dish.

XXX

Daisuke Nakamura was irritated, again. He looked over at Hiro's kitchenette in hatred, the bracelet-wearing boy always seemed to be in a better mood that he was. Meanwhile, Jessica was panicking at his shoulder—trying to gather any knowledge that she knew about Turkish meals.

"Turkey is in Central Europe? The Mediterranean? Eastern Europe? West Asia? Gah!" Daisuke clapped his hand over her mouth briskly, tired of hearing her frantic voice.

"Lamb. Turkish people eat lamb. So we make some lamb kebabs, sauté some eggplants and peppers in olive oil, and for dessert we whip up some Baklava. Easy enough?" His tone was harsh and Jessica drew back involuntarily. She never had exclusive time with Daisuke, and at that moment she realized how thankful she was for not getting the privilege. How many times had she noticed Emily following this boy? What the heck did she see in him? She personally detested his red hair and "I don't care" attitude, but Emily lapped it up. She was going to have to teach that lovesick girl a lesson.

"Can you handle sautéing the vegetables? Use olive oil and the spices I put near the pan. Get going. We've only got two hours." He spat, turning to the raw lamb and piecing pieces of it with wooden skewers. He seasoned them with a colorful handful of herbs and turned on the half-grill. He retrieved a bag of cedar chips and placed them in the smoker. After a few minutes the lamb smelled delicious.

"So when did you learn how to cook?" Jessica's polite attempt at conversation did not go ignored—Daisuke dove into his history of food.

"That's pretty impressive." Jessica commented, lifting the pan off of the burner and giving it a good shake.

"Yeah, anyone would be impressed." He said haughtily.

"You're an ass, you know that?" Jessica retorted.

"Thank you."

"You're not welcome."

XXX

"_Whennn theeeee, moon-hits-your-eyes-like-a-big-pizza-pie—that's amore_!" Mark sung in a low voice, placing a raw noodle over his lip as a mustache. Giggling slightly, Alex took his hand and began waltzing with him as he sang. His Italian accent was horrible, but Alex decided it just made the whole situation funnier.

"_When the world seems to shine—like you've had too much wine—that's amore!_" Alex broke free from the dancing to stir the pasta. They had decided to conjure up some penne pasta with a rich marinara sauce—sided by garlic bread and a basic salad. Mark continued his parody of the Italian culture by pretending to stomp on imaginary mushrooms and wearing plumber's overalls.

"Let's-a go!" He laughed. Alex rolled her eyes and began to create the salad dressing.

"You look-a good in de kitchen, Alex." Mark commented, moving his hands to punctuate his compliment erratically.

"Stop making fun of Italians! I'm Italian!" Alex pleaded, removing the sticky noodle from Mark's lip and crossing her arms.

"You can make fun of me! I'm as white as they come." He switched to a southern accent then, and Alex couldn't control the smile that crept across her face.

"Okay, Guido. Stop messing around and help me with the sauce." Stealing a quick kiss on her cheek, Markus Pearl swiftly began chopping tomatoes. It was almost as if it never happened. But the tingling on her cheek confirmed that it did.

"_It's gotta be the garlic—_" Alex thought, "—_they_ _say it stimulates the heart." _

XXX

Talia had proven to be an exquisite cook, and Magden's natural love for spices greatly aided the girls' task. The duo had decided upon Achiote marinated chicken and a side of wild rice. Talia suggested plantains as well, and Magden agreed animatedly. She proceeded to slice the banana-like fruits lengthwise and asked Magden to fetch the deep fryer. Magden sliced limes for the chicken and rice, and sautéed the entire dish in a large, wok-like pan. She added chicken stock, a diced onion, a _lot_ of garlic, and some raw potatoes.

"Can you pass the powdered sugar?" Talia asked. Magden nodded and handed her the silver shaker. She pulled the frying tray from the oil and slipped—dumping the boiling liquid on her arms. Talia screamed loudly and dropped the pan. It clattered on the floor and spread steaming oil all over the marble. Berane, hearing Talia in distress, deserted the corned beef he was slicing to assist her. With inhuman speed he reached Talia before she fell to the floor.

"Are you okay, Talia?" He whispered. She was in such shock that she didn't speak; the only sign that she was alert was the hot tears streaming down her face. Her arms were a hideous shade of red, and on the spots that were directly hit the skin was beginning to peel back.

"Second degree burns!" Cameron had reached the scene of the injury and was making quick assessments. Yanmega perched on Cameron's shoulder and buzzed every time Cameron would point something out. When Tarkov came to the kitchenette he brought a jug of cold water, some bandages, and a couple of tubes of ointment. Hunter took the ointment and gauze from him and crouched in front of Talia.

"Why are you always getting hurt, sweetheart?" A term of endearment from Hunter was unheard of, yet the gesture seemed to calm Talia down significantly. Berane stepped back but stayed within touching distance. Hunter made her hold out her arms while Tarkov poured the cold water over the blotchy burns and blisters. The relief on her face was evident, and the knot of worry in Berane's chest seemed to loosen a bit. After applying the ointment and the lotion, Hunter gently wrapped Talia's forearms in soft white gauze.

"Don't make any sudden movements, okay?" Hunter attached ice packs to the burns with medical tape.

"When can I take the ice off?" She asked feebly.

"In five minutes exactly. Don't try to cook anything else." Her face fell at the fact that she couldn't assist her partner anymore.

"It's okay, Talia. The plantains are fried to perfection." Magden assured her, and made sure her new-found friend was comfortable before finishing the chicken.

XXX

Berane Dimonis was fretting. He was fretting, worrying, freaking out, whatever you'd like to call it—simply because if anything bad ever happened to Talia (which occurred alarmingly often) he wouldn't know what to do with himself. The sense of purpose and love he received from the tiny blonde was something that he cherished dearly—she filled the voids in his heart and the feelings in his chest. Emily noticed Berane was more quiet and distant than usual and decided to press the subject.

"Are you all right, Berane?" She asked. A bit put off that she was talking to him, Berane began to withdraw into his emotional reserve. He nodded stiffly and returned to boiling the cabbage for their Irish dish. It was a symphony of corned beef, steamed cabbage with carrots and potatoes, and garnished by white onion and freshly ground pepper. Emily covered the pot he was stirring so his distractions were eliminated.

"I can see you care about her a lot. Don't worry, Berane. She's going to be okay." Berane caught himself looking in Talia's direction for the fifth or sixth time and quickly glanced away.

"At least you've got someone who appreciates you." Emily prompted, sighing loudly before returning to the cabbage. Berane paused in his frantic monitoring to look at his partner.

"What about Daisuke?"

"Are you kidding? That kid doesn't like me. I don't even know why I'm attracted to him. I guess it's because I've always wanted to rebel in my life—and Daisuke has those qualities I've always craved."

Berane nodded as if this made sense and didn't question it further.

"He'll come around, Em. I'm sure of it. A prick like that can't resist someone who is genuine, no matter how much of a douche he is." He assured her. With a slightly more chipper attitude, Emily resumed her cooking.

XXX

"I love Mexican food. It's amazing. Pretty much to die for. Yep, amazing." Kai was on a sugar high from repeated tasting of the flan they were making. She stirred the custard twice, tasted it, and stirred again. Hiro looked at her a bit oddly and decided to avoid any hormonally-imbalanced women at that moment. When a small bubble popped in the dessert Kai laughed a bit maniacally.

"Okay, Kai, sweetheart, how about you put everything I've chopped on the cutting board into the blender. We need to finish our ceviche, right?" A crazed grin was stretched over her face as he gently (and slowly) pried the spoon from her clutches. He picked up the tiny girl by the waist and pivoted, placing her in his former spot. Before Kai had shoveled massive amounts of sugar/custard/caramel in her mouth, the couple was fervently working on a common Mexican meal. They had decided on fish tacos with corn tortilla shells, chopped cilantro and white onion to top it. Lime juice covered the entire plate—and the ceviche they were attempting to prepare was mixed with crab, extra halibut, avocado, tomato, onion, cucumber, and a sharp citrus sauce. Hiro was making most of the food—for Kai was temporarily insane. He flitted from bowl to bowl—frying tostadas and blending the vegetables. Kai was gravitating towards the flan again—and when her fingers were about to touch the fluffy custard Hiro slapped it away with a rubber spatula. She hissed at him and Hiro hissed back. Defeated, she sunk to the marble floor.

"N-need-d…suga-a-ar-rr." Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she drooled a bit. Hiro left the kitchenette momentarily to retrieve an ingredient he had forgotten—and when he returned Kai was unconscious.

"Holy crap! Kai! Wake up!" He gently slapped her cheek to rouse her, but the only thing she did was roll her head back. It rested against the cupboard heavily. Hiro grabbed the nearest pitcher of water and dumped it over her head. Ice cubs slid into her shirt and stuck in her hair—and the frigid torrent woke her up with a scream. She looked around in a panic until she got her bearings back.

"What did you do that for?" She shouted, grabbing the collar of Hiro's v-neck and dragging him close.

"Woah, Kai, if you wanted a better look at me you could've just asked." Hiro winked and Kai released him with a frustrated growl.

"You, my lady, were on a sugar high. I wouldn't even call it that, actually. More like a sugar craze. You were crazy. Crazy lady." Hiro was making fun of her fragmented comments and Kai didn't like it.

"Don't make me change my opinion about you." She warned.

"Ha. You know there's nothing but good thoughts." He laughed, and realizing he was right Kai sighed in defeat.

"Whatever, buttface."

"Good comeback."

XXX

"Miso hot!" Rey had caught his reflection in the silver pan and James rolled his eyes. The pun was bad enough, and the extra conceited attitude only made it worse. The entire hour was spent on James making sushi and Rey getting in the way. He had no cooking sense whatsoever and that left the job to James. Making the sushi rice was pretty easy, and gave Rey a timer so he knew when to stop and when to fan. James carefully sliced shrimp, ahi, cucumber, avocado, crab, and seaweed. He managed to unearth a few bamboo rolling mats from the back of the supply closet, and began to squish and roll the sushi. He had constructed three different rolls: the standard crab roll, a tuna roll, and a shrimp roll. He sprinkled crushed tempura over the shrimp and poured a sweet eel sauce in a zigzag pattern. Rey was busy slicing the sushi logs James had set in front of him. Slicing and knives seemed to be one of the only things he excelled in, so James decided to put this singular skill to good use.

"Wassup, b?" The Delafuente was over his shoulder now, and the close proximity began to irritate James.

"Wassup…b?" He repeated Rey's question slowly dawned on him.

"Wassup, b? _Wasabi! _Get it? Get it?" James shoved Rey back so as to rid himself of the claustrophobia that had settled, and Rey took this as a warning. He had two more strikes until he was out, right?

Wrong.

Rey took the soy sauce and waved it in front of James' face.

"Yo soy happy!" Rey shouted, laughing rather obnoxiously at James' infuriated expression. He dove for Rey and pinned him to the floor with his knee.

"SHUT UP WITH YOUR STUPID PUNS!" He roared, pouring the soy sauce over his face. The salt got in Rey's eyes and he began to thrash, throwing James off and slamming him into the cupboards. He grabbed the nearest cup of water and poured it over his stinging face—yet the contents of the cup did not include water. It was vinegar. This caused the pained howls to increase in tempo and frequency—almost to the point where James became concerned. Tyler heard the commotion from a few booths over and released Ambria. The Vaporeon needed no prompting and doused the eyes of the angered trainer with a water gun. After a few moments he sunk to the floor with bloodshot eyes. He thanked the rather affectionate Vaporeon before it trotted back to its master. He looked up at James with clouded vision—this was _not_ over.

XXX

"Great work, Ambria! Return!" Tyler clipped the pokeball back to his belt and resumed working. AC stirred the cream for their crepes, and Tyler flipped the thin pancake in the skillet. They had created about five crepes with a different filling for each. One had chocolate and bananas—another was strawberry, and the rest included blackberries, raspberries, honey and butter, and the one they decided to "test" was a powdered-sugar-and-maple-syrup combination.

The two boys had agreed their plan was pure genius, as only a partially insane person would turn down crepes. The smell had attracted Tarkov to their station, who periodically "monitored" their methods so the boys wouldn't "desecrate God's gift to man." After five or six minutes of badgering, Tyler made an offer.

"General Tarkov, do you want a crepe?"

"WOULD I EVE—I mean—I guess I'd have to taste one of your disgusting monstrosities. Wouldn't want to poison anyone else." With three bites the raspberry crepe was gone.

"Is it poisonous?" AC quipped.

"Enough venom to choke a horse!" He growled, licking the sauce off of his fingers.

XXX

"Time's up! Bring your dish to the front table!" Vick called. Kame and Riley were finishing the arrangement of wontons on their plates before rushing to the front of the kitchen. The four counselors were acting as judges—and the school had provided them sterling silver silverware and lobster bibs. Hunter approached Hiro and Kai's dish first—gingerly tasting the tart ceviche. Tarkov inhaled a fish taco and Vick tried the flan. Cameron declined politely—Mexican food "made his bowels quite irritable."

Next came the sampling of Emily and Berane's Irish delight—the cabbage was spat out by Tarkov—yet the rest of the counselors seemed to like it. Daisuke's lamb was utterly amazing, according to Cameron, but the other three judges disregarded the eggplant with a wrinkled nose.

Tarkov instantly wanted to give the prize to AC and Tyler—merely because of their choice in French desserts—yet Vick claimed they were "too easy." Tarkov punched the ex-soldier and snapped up the crepe from his plate.

"That's fine by me, soldier. More for the general!"

Alex and Mark received good nods from the judging panel—but Hunter said the dish was too generic, and the crowd began to agree. A replacement noodle mustache fell from Mark's lip in defeat. Talia looked with hopeful eyes for her plantains—which got great reviews from Cameron and Vick. Tarkov was allergic to garlic, and roared at the campers who began to make vampire jokes.

Riley whooped in victory when Tarkov approved of their wontons—but the sizzling rice soup they had botched received passing marks from the judges. Anthony and Venice's sausage were loved by the entire panel—for the level of difficulty _and_ the taste. After them came James and Rey—whose reddened eyes brightened slightly when the sushi was deemed "delectable."

When all of the tasting had been done, the judges met in a small huddle for a few minutes. Cameron broke off first and began to speak.

"We've decided unanimously that you all are winners! Your dishes were special in their very own wa—"

"Shutup, Torvenal! That wasn't what we decided! The winners are Venice and Anthony!" With an excited little scream Venice jumped into a cheering Tony's arms—and the look of utter fury from James was enough to make Tony drop her. She hit the floor with a surprised "oomph!" and glared at her partner.

XXX

Back at the campgrounds, Hunter went to each cabin and ordered the campers to begin packing. Deciding to take the young trainers across Kanto was deemed a reasonable prize for Venice and Anthony's victory.

"Tarkov is not happy about this—but you'll find I can be very persuasive…" She told them.

_"We ARE taking these children! Aren't we supposed to be familiarizing with the region anyway?" _

_"I DO NOT WANT TO TAKE THESE BRATS ACROSS THE REGION!"_

_"We will. We will, and you'll like it." _

_"And if I don't?" General Tarkov watched Hunter slam her fist into his solid wood desk—splitting the furniture into matchsticks._

_"Then I'll do that to your face."_

_"All right! We're shoving out at dawn!" _

_"That's more like it." _

Hunter smiled at her little victory before rolling over in her bed. The crisp green sheets ruffled slightly in the draft of the counselors' dorms, and right before she fell asleep she felt a hand run across her butt.

"Vick. You have three seconds to get out of my bed."

"That gives me two seconds to enjoy this." He whispered.

Hunter shoved the perverted counselor from her sheets and planted her foot in his crotch.

"Have fun being sterile."

XXX

**Writing this chapter made me soooooooooooooo hungry! Thanks for waiting my beautiful readers. Review and tell me what you think! **


	12. MicroChapter: Prehistoric Peril

**There are so many storms in California! And a tornado warning O_o finals week is next week so I'm hoping to squeeze out a small chapter before then! I know I promised that the Johto arc would begin around chapter 15 but I'm deciding to start it after this small chapter! Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think!**

**(jeez. I've always injured Talia in some way, shape, or form. I guess it's because she's so delicate and it makes for a more dramatic scene. Who to injure next?) **

XXX

Story Start:

Prehistoric Peril: The Ticket to a Penthouse Suite Part One

Dawn broke over the camp, and Tarkov's resounding wake-up call had the campers awake and ready within ten minutes. All of the camp's luggage was stuffed into the bottom of the old yellow bus, and the trainers filed into its squishy brown seats immediately after. The sun didn't make an appearance that day, and a cold wind cut through the open windows. Tarkov inhaled deeply out the glass and sneezed.

"Storm's comin'." He growled, sinking back into his seat next to Vick. The pink-haired counselor was busy with a compact mirror, trying to get an indirect view of Hunter's cleavage. Cameron, who was at the wheel, saw Vick in the rear-view and slammed on the breaks.

"Stop that, Tatter!" He barked. Hunter looked up from her Teddiursa to spot Vick scrambling to hide the small compact. Appalled, she zipped her yellow jacket up a bit more and stomped to where the pervert sat.

"Step back, Tarkov." The tone in her voice was so belligerent the ex-general immediately complied. She picked Vick up by the collar and got straight in his face. Her angular nose barely brushed his skin, and the contact seemed to goad Vick even more.

"I'd highly suggest never doing that again unless you want your testicles sliced off with a kni—"

Vick had taken advantage of the proximity and locked Hunter in a full kiss. His lips enveloped the threat that was trying to escape her mouth with such passion that Hunter began to kiss back. But when her conscious mind realized what she was doing, she wound up and punched Vick in the jaw. Sputtering blood from his mouth, he looked to Hunter with hurt eyes.

"You know, I usually don't try this hard to get a positive reaction—but I guess direct approaches don't work for you, either." He moved around the enraged female and to the door.

"Let me out, Torvenal."

"Excuse me? Do you know how far we are from Neon City? Where are we supposed to leave you? Fuchsia city is about an hour's walk and going back to Lavender Town would be a laugh." Vick shook his head.

"I want to go." He insisted. Tarkov stood from his seat (keeping a generous distance from Hunter) and addressed his ex-soldier.

"Are you saying you're going to desert your platoon, soldier? Are you _suggesting_, even _considering_, leaving your troops behind? These privates need you, and you're just going to _get up and leave_?" Tarkov's voice was uncharacteristically soft, and this tone sounded even more threatening due to the lack of volume.

"Sir, I—"

"_ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE! SIT DOWN THIS INSTANT OR I WILL PERSONALLY PUNISH YOU WHEN WE GET OFF THIS BUS_!"

Vick sat down with a defeated sigh. No matter how long you've been out of the military—one is always expected to follow orders.

XXX

About four hours later (despite multiple "Are we there yets?" and "I have to pees") the C.C. Bus arrived in Neon Town. "The City that Never Sleeps" was constructed with ridiculously tall buildings, flashing lights, and of course (you guessed it) neon signs. Tons of tourists, locals, and pokemon alike traipsed the crowded streets, and tons of yellow cabs cramped the roads. Getting around seemed like a difficult feat.

"Are we staying in a hotel?" Riley asked, clearly excited at the thought of a clean bed. Hunter looked to Tarkov who shook his head.

"We're going to bunk in Grandpa Canyon!" He shouted.

"Where's that?" Talia asked.

"Grandpa Canyon is on the outskirts of town. We make camp there and then we can do whatever the hell we want here. This is what you wanted—right?" Cameron quickly maneuvered the bus around a busted taxi and pushed the vehicle forward. When the rickety yellow bus stopped at Grandpa Canyon, the campers were finally released into the fresh air. The canyon was wide and spacious, with a rocky path winding down to a broad outcropping. The drop from the topmost cliff to the bottom was "two hundred and fifty five feet, seventeen inches, and four-point-three centimeters," according to Cameron. The rock was a burnt orange color, swirled periodically with deep gray and an interesting cobalt color. As the camp lugged their belongings down the path, Cameron kept the group entertained. (Or so it seemed.)

"Did you know that five prehistoric pokemon were sighted here? Can anyone tell me what pokemon they were? This actually relates to us because the person who 'discovered' these magnificent beasts was in our company not one weekend ago!" His too-chipper attitude was a bit much for the groggy campers, and it took three minutes of silence for the counselor to answer his own question.

"Ash Ketchum saw an Aerodactyl, an Omanyte and Omastar, Kabuto and Kabutops! Excellent! Now if we notice the patterns in this rock face…" His one-sided tour was interrupted by a piercing screech. The entire canyon began to shake and the vibrations knocked the smaller campers (Talia, Kai, Cameron) onto the ground. The quake was devastating and Venice rolled dangerously close to the edge. James dove for her and dragged her to his chest.

"S-t-t-o-o-o-p-p-p s-c-c-a-r-i-n-n-g-g me!" The shaking was so severe his words were fragmented.

"Nidoking, use Rock Slide!" Tarkov was on his feet like a champ and released his trusted pokemon. The beast found its footing before reshaping the path into a slide down to the more stable outcropping. After releasing his other pokemon Tarkov ordered them to pick up a camper and to begin their way down. Hiro released Charizard and made sure Kame was on its back before he was. They took flight and hovered around the grounded campers.

Another shriek ripped through the air and an enormous Aerodactyl soared from the depths of the shaking valley. It was being chased by a second Aerodactyl. The two ancient beasts were fighting, and the slap of leathery hide against hide resounded almost as loudly as the quake. When the pokemon spotted Hiro's Charizard they diverted their attention from each other and onto the trainer. Sensing danger, Hiro plummeted towards the edge and set Kame onto the ground.

"_WHAT ARE YOU DOING_?" Kame shrieked, abandoning all sense of rationality in fear for her crush. His life was very important to her, and battling _two _Aerodactyl did not seem like a good way to preserve it. The counselors were too busy ushering the other trainers down to notice Hiro's absence. Alex released Togekiss and leapt on her trusted pokemon's back.

"Alex, are you crazy? Don't go out there!" Mark caught her wrist in a vice, but Alex shook it free.

"I have to help him, Mark! Who else is going to?" She squeezed her friend's hand before kicking off the ground.

XXX

"Charizard, use Flamethrower! Aim at its belly!" The lizard's body grew warm before an ocean of fire spewed from its jaws. The flames made direct contact with an Aerodactyl, and harsh blisters rose instantly on its sensitive underside. Alex and Togekiss flanked Hiro then, and the assurance that he wasn't alone seemed to relax the trainer infinitesimally.

"Togekiss, let's go! Use Shadow Ball!" A sphere of dark energy soared towards the burned Aerodactyl, making direct contact in its eyes. The beast roared, and the echo it created intensified the earthquake. The campers below were screaming for the trainers to come back down.

"We can't go back," Alex screamed, "Or they'll attack all of us!" Togekiss dove rapidly, narrowly avoiding a twin pair of hyperbeams. The heat generated by the blasts irritated Alex's skin. Hiro commanded another flamethrower from Charizard, and the dragon feinted close to one of the Aerodactyls' faces before engulfing it in flames. In blind agony the Aerodactyl swiped a mighty claw, knocking Charizard unconscious. Hiro began to plummet to the ground, and he reached out to pull Jolteon closer to him. (who had been on his lap the whole time.) Alex abandoned the Aerodactyl she was currently fighting to try and reach Hiro, but the distance between them was too great.

"Vaporeon, let's go! Spray Charizard with Water Gun!" Being released in midair was frightening for the Bubble Jet Pokemon, but after a few prompts she complied. Charizard, weakened yet conscious, gyrated until he had safely secured Hiro and Jolteon on his back. Hiro called Vaporeon back and began to gain altitude.

"Aerial Ace!" Togekiss' wings shone brilliantly before attacking the weaker Aerodactyl. The beast moved quickly and dodged the blow—landing a crushing bite on the Togekiss' spine. It howled in pain and dropped a few meters.

"ALEX, COME BACK NOW! YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!" Mark was desperately trying to bring Alex back to him—but over the rumbling of the quake it was impossible to hear.

"What is causing all this shaking?" Cameron shouted, pulling a small device from his pocket and flipping the power button. After a small laser surveyed the rock the monitor beeped twice.

"Apparently the caverns where the pokemon were dwelling are collapsing! On the opposite side of where we stand there are six or seven pillars that support the canyon. These Aerodactyl have shifted the pillars, virtually crumbling the other half of the canyon!" As if to punctuate his statement the bottom tier of the opposing rock face exploded—sending dust and rock flying towards the campers.

"Rock slide, Nidoking!"

"Blaster, use Protect!"

"You too, Gallade! Protect!"

Tarkov's Nidoking, Venice's Blastoise, and Vick's Gallade did their best to shield the campers from the lethal debris. Kame's Swablu flapped its wings fervently to remove any harmful dust, and Dark, Mark's Honckrow, followed suit. AC released his Crobat to assist the other airborne pokemon, and Magden decided it was Screech's (Her Skarmony's) duty to join as well. Riley called his shiny Charizard to his side and leapt on its back, eager to help Hiro and Alex. The black lizard cut swiftly through the dust and out into the fray. At the sight of Riley's red flannel Hiro cheered, and the distraction came with a price. An Aerodactyl swooped from the boy's left—landing a vicious Dragon Claw into the Charizard's body. Riley countered with his Charizard's Hyperbeam—dealing damage right between the Aerodactyl's eyes. The beast fainted and fell to the canyon floor with a disgusting crunch. The other Aerodactyl, enraged at the sight of its fallen ex-assailant, charged at Riley with no hindrance. Alex's Togekiss struck with an Aura Sphere, diverting the ancient pokemon's course. The Aerodactyl fell back before shaking off its dizziness.

The three trainers made eye contact and nodded.

"Hyper Beam!"

The triple Hyper Beam crippled the Aerodactyl, and soon the Fossil Pokemon landed upon its fallen companion. After the trainers had safely touched down upon the outcropping, all injuries and head-counts were catalogued.

"So, I guess this means we're staying in a hotel?" The silence afterward was broken by a defeated sigh from Tarkov.

"I guess I'll make reservations."

A resounding "YES!" instantly distracted the camp from the harrowing fact that they had just been attacked/nearly killed by a pair of supposedly extinct pokemon long enough to return to the bus.

XXX

"Yes, I'd like to rent six rooms please. Name? Nikolas Tarkov. How long? Two nights should do it. Thanks, we'll be checking in around one." Tarkov snapped his phone shut and looked at his watch, then out to the sun.

"Step on it, Torvenal! You drive like my grandmother!" He roared.

"Pardon me, speed racer, but I'm actually going the speed limit, which need I remind you is _45." _

"Forty-five? Christ! Nana Tarkov can walk faster!"

"Nana Tarkov? You actually call her—never mind. We're here, okay?" Cameron pulled into the valet parking of the Hariyama Hotel. A sharply dressed valet boy stared at the bus blankly.

"Haven't you ever seen a damn school bus? Get driving." The boy frantically scampered into the bus and drove away after the campers retrieved their luggage.

"Talia, let me get that for you." Berane gently took the pink duffel from the tiny blonde's burnt grip. She huffed in helplessness but decided that accepting a little assistance wasn't a bad thing. Berane had her bag and his slung over his right shoulder, and used his left hand to rest on the small of Talia's back. She subconsciously moved closer to Berane's side at the brief touch. AC noticed the subtle contact and decided to try a "touch" of his own. Wriggling into the crowded group of campers, he maneuvered around a bored Daisuke to stand behind Magden. He stopped suddenly and Daisuke ran into him—sending AC sprawling towards Magden's backside. The couple landed in a tangle of limbs and luggage—and his lips were mere centimeters from hers.

"We haven't been out of the bus for three minutes and you're already falling for me, babe." Even though his statement was absolutely ludicrous, Magden couldn't deny the fresh breath AC was sporting. Her favorite scent, spearmint, clouded her thoughts for a few moments.

Hunter's Teddiursa lifted AC off of Magden with one paw and tossed him a few feet in front of the group. Magden gratefully got up and continued her way towards the elevator.

XXX

**MINIATURE CHAPTER THANG. I AM TIRED AND HUNGRY AND COLD AND I JUST WANT TO SLEEP. **

**And find the fix for my caps-lock. Regardless, part two should appear in the next few days, but I just wanted to give y'all a little filler/action thing before going to sleep. Feedback on the chapter? Who would you like to see more of? Less of? Let me know. **

**Love, Katie. **


	13. We Gonna Rock Down to Electrike Avenue

**Hey everyone! I'm surprised at how many reviews my dumpy little chapters are getting :D **

**Thanks so much for your undying support and it truly makes me so happy to see that you guys like it so much! So here's chapter thirteen—the only hotel chapter, then after neon city the camp will make their way to Johto! Haha thanks for putting up with my indecisiveness as well! Enjoy!**

**SJSHARK23: One of my personal favorites, he sent me this shipping guide so you all can add these to ship lists/daydream about/etc: Tell me which one you like the best! **

_**BlindEyeShipping: Hiro/Kame (from the fact that both are blind in one eye)  
AirFlirtShipping: James/Venice (from James' dream of becoming a pilot and Venice's flirtatious nature)  
RebelShipping: Daisuke/Emily (since Daisuke is a rebel)  
BrashShipping: Riley/Kaiya (both are very much, well, brash)  
SarcasmShipping: AC/Magden (since Magden talks to AC with such)  
FragileShipping: Berane/Talia (since Talia seems so fragile)  
TwinRangerShipping: Mark/Alex (portmanteau of Twinleaf and Ranger)  
PaintShipping: Tyler/Jessica (since they first found the paintings)  
PinkBearShipping: Vick/Hunter (from Vick's hair and the fact that Hunter has a Teddiursa)**_

**Shanks for the lovely brilliantness! **

XXX

On the eighth floor of the Hariyama Hotel were the rooms assigned to the Camp Catchem'all members. In room 814 resided Magden, Talia, Emily, and Jessica, while room 815 held Alex, Venice, Kai, and Kame. Separating the girls' rooms from the boys was the counselor's room, where Hunter _insisted _to sleep in a cot, despite Vick's insistence that a lady needs a "soft bed and strong arms" to make it through the night. That left Tarkov sharing with Vick, and Cameron and Yanmega would occupy the other queen-sized bed. Down the hall in room 816 were Hiro, Riley, Daisuke, Mark, and James. Adjacent to them were the Delafuentes, Berane, AC, and Tyler. Tarkov had called the entire camp into the counselors' suite for a meeting.

"The current time is 3:33PM. Your curfew as of now is 11:00PM. If any of you are a millisecond late, you will be subject to personal punishment and or public humiliation. Do you feel like riskin' it?" The ex-general growled. Hunter pulled a cashbox from her luggage and removed around thirty dollars for each camper.

"This money comes straight out of your camp fees. It can be used as food money, leisure money, whatever you want. But this is all you get until we reach a pre-planned event." She doled out the bills to everyone before locking the box and placing the key around her neck. Cameron blocked the door after her speech and began a small lecture of his own.

"I recommend the Poke Stylist Hall of Fame on Vulpix Veldt! They've got wigs, statues, makeup, anything you ever wanted to know about the history of pokestyling! Or, we could all go look at the Museum of Pokemon Biological Advances! I've heard they've got this cross section of a Jigglypuff and I'm quite interested how its bone structure allows it to be so fat—" Vick clapped his hand over his colleague's mouth and sighed.

"There's a chain of underage bars, clubs, theaters, whatever. It's on Electrike Avenue."

The stampede of campers out the door told the counselors they needed no more suggestions.

XXX

"Okay, I am_ so_ down to find some hotties tonight!" Rey shouted, pulling a sharper outfit out of his duffel bag. The boys in room 817 wasted no time in getting ready, and it seemed that the campers in the other rooms were quick to clean up as well.

"Is it all right if I shower first?" Alex asked, picking bits of rock out of her long hair. In light of the recent stress and peril the girls decided this would be the best decision, and Alex took to the spacious glass shower with enthusiasm. The bathroom had a creamy marble floor, and swirls of pink, coral, and peach were hidden in the marble walls. The shower was a masterpiece of its own, with glass walls and two large showerheads. Small golden shells acted as handles, and the water was soft and hot out of the faucets.

Hiro was enjoying the shower in his room, as well. He reached out to his toiletry bag to retrieve his shampoos and soap. The Axe products were balanced on the counter—Hiro didn't remember taking them out of the bag but thought nothing of it. He squeezed a generous amount into his hands and began washing out the gel, grime, and gunk that had accumulated in his otherwise immaculate fohawk. When Hiro had finished his brief shower he wrapped a white towel around his midsection and one around his hair. Hiro emerged from the steaming bathroom to find Riley playing poker with Mark and James, and Daisuke with a rather sinister grin on his face. The expression sent red flags up in Hiro's brain—but he dismissed them as overreactions. The ginger-haired boy filed into the shower and slammed the door loudly.

"God, what is that freak's problem?" Hiro exclaimed, unraveling the towel from his hair. When he stood back up the three boys facing him stopped cold. On their faces were looks of utter shock, complemented by the simultaneous "pop" of three mouths dropping open. Hiro quickly checked if his lower towel had fell—which it hadn't, and scanned his entire person for any out-of-the-ordinary defects albeit his blind eye. It was Riley who finally broke the silence.

"Your hair." The words were whispered with such a sympathetic tone that fear stole Hiro's heart. He sprinted to the long mirror and screamed.

His hair had somehow been dyed bright blonde. The normal black locks were bleached to a white, sandy color, and Hiro decided he didn't like it at all.

"What kind of shampoo did you use?" James asked, "Maybe you grabbed a bottle of dye instead?" Hiro then realized that he _didn't _take the bottles out of his bag—and concluded someone must have tampered with the products. _Someone_ who was currently occupying the shower.

"_Daisuke_!" Hiro kicked at the door and the boy responded with loud, mocking laughter.

"Just wait until you come out, you little rat!" Hiro pivoted and began unlocking the hotel door.

"Uh, bro? How about some pants?" Mark suggested. Hiro shook his head furiously.

"I'm going to ask Talia for help."

XXX

All of the girls were now in stage two of getting ready. (For male readers, this involves hair and makeup—long before the dressing process) When Hiro burst through the door of room 814 wearing nothing but a towel—the girls nearly freaked. It wasn't really the lack of pants, (or underwear) it was mostly the fact that a wet, mostly-naked beefcake was standing in their doorway. The other shocking component in this awkward situation was Hiro's hair. He strode over to Talia, ignoring Magden's attempts to usher him out, and sat down in the bucket seat next to her.

"Fix me, please." He pleaded. Magden held up a pair of scissors and placed a hand on her hip.

"Oh, I'll do more than just fix your _hair, _boy." Emily held up a hand and tried hard not to laugh.

"Mags, just stop. Hiro needs his testicles." The uncharacteristically brash comment from Emily received surprised giggles from the occupants of the room, and Magden soon gave in and joined the laughter.

Talia set down her curling iron and stood up. Hiro's head came to her eye level, even when sitting, but this didn't stop the young Italian from combing her slender fingers through his locks.

"This is just a cheap bleach treatment, Hiro. The only thing I can recommend is using a peroxide bath. Here, get in the bathroom and stick your head in the sink." She rummaged through her rather large pink cosmetics bag to pull out a small brown bottle. She dragged a chair in front of the sink and plopped Hiro down in it. Talia plugged the sink and began filling it with hot water. Jessica released her Growlithe, who was ordered to heat the water with ember. Talia dumped the bottle in and began scrubbing Hiro's scalp. After twenty minutes of scraping and rubbing the bleach began to separate from Hiro's hair—his signature dark hair color was beginning to show again. Magden came into the bathroom with a maroon-colored bottle.

"It's what I use to keep my hair from lightening—but if your hair needs some color I've got the darkest brown they make." Hiro was infinitely grateful to the girls—and decided that all of the preparation they took to get ready paid off for once. He would never judge again.

When his hair was back to normal, Hiro adjusted his towel and crushed Talia in a bear hug.

"Thank you so much, you beautiful genius!" He ran from the room laughing.

XXX

Venice took the liberty of calling everyone in their rooms and arranging to meet in the lobby around five. When the campers finally congregated, they all were dressed sharply. The comfortable, weather-worn summer clothes of the camp had been shed to be replaced by black suede, dark denim, and slick leather. Each individual stepped from their normal personas and into newer, more reckless versions of themselves. There were no rules that night, it seemed.

The walk to Electrike Avenue was short—and along the way were multiple casinos, vendors, and hotels. Crowds of people flooded the streets where the campers walked, and the neon lights cast vibrant shadows along their path. When the C.C. campers passed through the small gates into Electrike Avenue, the bright lights drew their attention in many directions.

Jessica had a small brochure from the hotel and began listing off places they could go.

"The Duskull District, Atmosphere, The Gorebyss, the Pop-Lock-and Hitmontop, and the Barboach Boardwalk. Where do you guys want to go first?" Riley, Hiro, and Venice simultaneously suggested clubbing while Talia and Magden wanted to go shopping, The Delafuentes and Daisuke were hungry, and Tyler pretty much wanted to do whatever Jessica wanted—so the notion of staying together seemed like a far-off dream.

"Are you hungry, Mark?" Alex asked, eyeing The Gorebyss across the street. The pink eel-like pokemon had been transformed into a neon sign, and through the windows Alex spotted a lowered sushi bar and plenty of seating.

"I'm down." He shrugged, stomach rumbling idly. He followed his friend into the restaurant with the twins in tow.

"Well, I'm going to go dance. Anyone care to join me?" Hiro smirked. Venice skipped over and linked her arm with Hiro's, practically running to The Atmosphere. Riley, noticing his group leaving, quickly sprinted to catch up.

Jessica and Tyler decided to check out the Duskull District—which apparently was an underground rock concert hall. Sharing a love for heavy metal, Berane, Daisuke, and Emily followed the couple. Talia and Magden sprinted for the Boardwalk—eager to see what sales were currently commencing and how much merchandise could be required within an hour.

"The girl with the most bags wins!" Talia cried.

This left AC, James, Kame and Kai.

"Bro, why are you so pissed? Live a little!" AC shouted, tugging on the sleeve of James' Air Force Jacket. He drew away from the touch and scoffed.

"This place is stupid." He scowled.

"No, it's not, you're just mad because Venice ran off with Pervert one and Pervert two!" Kai spat, grabbing Kame's hand and dragging her towards The Atmosphere. Kame shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

"You guys should come!"

James was reluctant but after multiple bashings from AC the reserved boy begrudgingly followed. He had his hand stamped by a rather burly-looking man with an afro. The Atmosphere was a nightclub, in essence, but the entire place was innovative in its design. The entire place was shaped like a sphere, and inside the sphere had been divided into three sections. The bottom section had food and a bar, the middle section's floor was made of glass and was for dancing, and the top section had an open roof—a balcony with a few fire pits and a lot of open space. Air conditioning pumped through the building—James estimated the temperature drop was at least fifteen degrees. Hiro looked like he was trying to persuade the bartender to spike his drink—and until a loud mouthed Kai arrived ("Wow Hiro! I didn't know your mommy let you out this late! Are you sure your fake I.D. will work in here?") He was almost successful. With a growl of discontent Hiro lifted Kai over his shoulder and carried her to the elevator. Her head hit his back frequently, and when the taller boy finally set her down she was red in the face.

"Where's Riley?" She asked. AC scanned the crowd until he pointed to the tall boy. He wore tight black corduroy pants and grey suede vans, topped off with a long-sleeved sweater. Its threads wove into a maroon-and-gold stripe pattern. He was dancing with a rather pretty girl with long hair. Kai, fuming at the idea that Riley was having fun with another girl (who from a cursory glance was exceedingly beautiful) grabbed the first boy she saw. The boy in question was a random with choppy blonde hair and green eyes. He wore a bright v-neck and a simple pair of jeans. Kai didn't even bother to catch his name—she just wanted shock value. Hiro, seeing that everyone was randomly grabbing dance partners, swept the timid Kame onto the floor.

"I can't dance!" She cried, watching Hiro snatch some glowsticks off of the floor. He wrapped the gummy plastic around his fingers and began to rave.

"It's easy, Kame. No one cares about how you dance except you!" He laughed and spun in time with the music. Kame opened her ears and the deep bass of the techno mixes began to stir something within her. She started by gently moving her hips until she caught the rhythm.

"This_ is_ easy!" She pivoted and ran smack dab into James. He was just about to cut into a dance Venice was sharing with some "jerk" (according to him) and now cradled his nose in his hands.

"James! Oh, no! I'm so sorry—I didn't see you!" James dismissed her apology and turned back to Venice. He half-shoved the guy off of her and took his place. He ran his hands down her sides until they rested on her slender hips.

"Can I dance with you?" He breathed in her ear. The words tickled Venice and she agreed with a giggle. Soon the couple was swaying with the music, and both sets of hands were exploring every appropriate inch of the other's form. James could smell the shampoo in her hair—and decided it was tantamount to ecstasy. The scent fogged his brain and removed all rational thought. Venice spun in his arms and placed her hand on James' neck. The cold touch of her hand sent more shivers down his spine, and he found himself subconsciously moving in. Her scent, her face, her touch, it was killing him. She was his weakness—the ultimate predator. Everything about her drew him in, like a baby sparrow caught in a cobra's gaze. He could not pull away now. Their lips met and the sensation was unbearable—never had James felt so appreciated (or lusted for) in his life. But the perfect moment was cut short when Kai came barreling between them.

"MAKE ROOM FOR JESUS!" She screamed, laughing maniacally as she slipped onto the glass. Riley stepped over her body and apologized repeatedly before hoisting her over his shoulder.

"What am I, a bag of dog food? Why does everyone insist carrying me like this?" She shouted.

"It's because it's the only way we have control!" Kai struggled on his back and decided the boy was right.

XXX

"So this is all you can eat, right?" Reymundo asked the waiter. The overworked man sighed before nodding. Beneath his dull brown eyes were dark circles—working too many late shifts with a bunch of adolescents had to be tiring. The boys had piled their plates to about the ceiling and began to gorge. Alex picked at a seafood salad quietly—and Mark had just finished his udon.

"How much longer are you guys going to be here?" Alex asked. Rey shrugged between mouthfuls of fried rice and Anthony spoke for him.

"Wereff gufnfna be herfee ffur a wchileefffe!"

"I'll take that as a long time. We're going to hit the clubs now." Mark put down enough money to pay for his and Alex's meals and led her outside by her hand. All of the people in the crowd were staring towards the sky. Following their gaze, Alex gasped at what she saw.

"Mark, look!" She cried, pointing excitedly. Mark glanced at the sky and found himself gasping as well. Over Electrike Avenue a synthetic screen had been stretched, and it arched over the entire street like a tunnel. On the screen a mixture of aesthetically pleasing images kept flashing—of pokemon running across, the ocean, a space scene with falling starts—every picture was gorgeous and it blanketed the avenue with its glow.

"Look at the stars, Mark! Make a wish!" She giggled.

Mark mumbled something incoherent and Alex didn't catch it.

"What'd you say?"

"Uh…nothing. Let's go dance, okay?" Alex shrugged in agreement and began walking towards the Atmosphere. Upon their arrival, the dance floor was almost full. The music blared from the speakers and Alex found herself tapping her foot to its beat. She scanned the crowd for any C.C. members—and nearly died of shock when she spotting James and Venice. The only reason they were distinguishable was Venice's long black hair—which was twisted rather passionately in James' knuckles at that moment. Mark saw them as well and began laughing.

"YEAH, JAMES! GET SOME!" The couple broke their kiss and turned to find the source of the voice. Alex grabbed Mark's hand and dove into the crowd.

"Are you an idiot? Why would you want to draw attention to the fact that you're watching them kiss?" Alex half-shouted. Mark shrugged.

"Makes ish interesting." Alex rolled her eyes and sighed.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"Kiss me."

"Wait—what? I didn't hear you."

"Dance with me."

XXX

The entire interior of the Duskull District resembled a tomb. The walls were grey and the ceilings disappeared into darkness, and the floor was barely visible due to the constant mist from the fog machines. Right upon entering the door they dip the guests' hands in a clear liquid—and in order to check if one has been allowed in is to place the aforementioned hand under a black light.

"Woah! My skin is glowing!" Tyler shouted, and the bouncer nodded with an annoyed stare.

"Please move along, sir." The entrance hall of the Duskull District had three hallways: The Duskull, The Duskclops, and the Dusknoir. The C.C. members filed into the Duskull hallway and realized they were slowly descending. The hall began to wind and grow steeper, until the people were rocking back on their heels to avoid falling. After reaching the bottom Berane estimated that they were now underground. Through a tall wrought iron gate was the concert hall—with polished bones for handrails and tombstones for seats. Yet seating was on the upper tier—along with a miniature bar and dance floor. On the level the campers were currently standing in was a mass of people, a group most likely to become a mosh pit. Emily shivered terribly—the owners were pumping air conditioning into the building and the hair on her arms stood on end.

"Someone cold?" Daisuke asked, rubbing the skin on her arm playfully. She smirked and shoved him away from her.

"Shut up! If you weren't wearing a jacket you'd be cold, too!"

"Do you want my jacket?" He asked. The statement was so out of character it completely threw her off. It took her three full seconds to register what he had said and thirty seconds to respond. Daisuke handed her his jacket with a smile. Emily shrugged into the leather jacket and inhaled deeply—his scent was a warm, spicy fragrance that somewhat matched his personality.

"Thanks for the jacket, Daisuke." Emily said. Daisuke scoffed.

"It's nothing." Deciding not to insist Emily drew her attention towards the stage—where the band was beginning to warm up. The lead singer looked around the crowd idly until his eyes fell upon Emily. He quickly plugged in his microphone and began to speak.

"Oi, gorgeous! Come closer so I can take a look atcha!" He pointed to Emily and around sixty people turned to look at her. Blushing madly Emily took a few steps forward.

"I don't bite, darlin'! …Much." He added with a wicked grin. Emily was maneuvering around people to reach the edge of the stage and when she touched the wooden ledge the singer crouched in front of her.

"Christ,Sid! Lookie here! _Way_ more striking up close!" "Sid" set down his bass guitar and crouched next to his band member.

"Oh, dearie, you belong up here with me!" Sid's black hair was spiked up in every direction, and on his face was a devilish smirk. The boy was extremely skinny, and underneath his partially ripped tank top his ribs were visible. He wore tight pants with a large hole in one knee, and on his feet were white converse. He leaned near Emily's face and stole a kiss before standing back up. On Emily's face was a look of shock and Sid laughed loudly before tossing her a white card.

"Call me up, gorgeous! Thanks for the good luck!" He puckered his lips again and the blush crept back up to Emily's face.

XXX

"Daisuke, where did Emily go?" Jessica asked. Daisuke turned around rapidly—and was distracted by the sudden sonorous voice of the singer.

"Oi, gorgeous! Come closer so I can take a look atcha!" He pointed a few feet to his left and Daisuke followed his finger. When he realized he was speaking to Emily a fit of rage stole through the boy's chest.

"Emily, don't go—" But she mustn't have heard him, for she began to progress towards the stage with a smile. Daisuke reached for her wrist but did not catch it this time. He watched with frantic eyes as the two band members (who by normal standards were goddamned gorgeous) and almost exploded when the dark-haired one kissed Emily. Why he even cared—Daisuke was not sure—but he _was_ sure that the bassist's life would be a living hell if Daisuke could help it. The entire concert consisted of punk rock with a few smaller bands performing after Sid and the others. His band was called the Sex Pistols, and despite the raging hatred he harbored for Sid he couldn't deny the fact that they were good. When the concert ended he saw Sid pull Emily on stage.

XXX

"I don't think we're properly introduced. I'm Sid Vicious, sweetheart." He kissed her hand and Emily giggled softly.

"I'm Emily."

"Emily? Most beautiful thing I've heard all day. This is my best friend—Johnny Rotten." An orange haired boy walked up then and gave a small wave.

"Where you from, Emily?"

"Well I've been vacationing with this summer camp—" She was cut off by Sid.

"Are you serious? A summer camp? Not one like Camp Catchem'all, eh?" Emily's face lit up at his response.

"Yes! The same! How do you know about it?"

"Well, darling, Johnny and I are supposed to meet up with you all in the Johto Region."

XXX

"Ten."

"Twelve"

"Crap!" Magden set down her bags in defeat—she guessed that no one had even beaten Talia in a shopping competition. The idea now seemed laughable. The two girls began making their way back to the hotel escorted by the overstuffed Delafuentes. The time read 10:30.

Back in the lobby the other campers—tired yet satisfied—all retreated into their bedrooms. After brushing their teeth and settling in, the campers in each room stayed awake with each other, quietly talking and discussing the night, their secrets, their pasts, etcetera. It was a time of bonding for the campers, and despite the constant giggling through the walls the counselors did not bother to silence them. It was just one night, right?

In the counselors' room Cameron was typing away on his laptop, Tarkov was sharpening his knives, and Vick was trying to comb his recently buzzed hair. The pink stubble on his scalp was just barely beginning to gain some length, and he looked behind himself in the mirror to gaze at Hunter. She was sitting in the suite's bathtub, which was large enough and extravagant enough to be called a Jacuzzi. Her green hair was piled in a sloppy bun on the crown of her head—and mountains of bubbles rose to her neck.

"Are you naked in that water, baby?" He asked. Even though his back was facing her she looked at him through his reflection.

"Yeah, wanna look?" She raised a slender brow and beckoned him closer. He eagerly peered into the bubbles before Hunter splashed him with the soapy water.

"Do you think I'm that easy?" She stood up and her swimsuit was eventually revealed.

"Well…I figured after the guilt trip thing I gave you the today you'd soften up." Hunter rolled her eyes and pulled the plug in the tub. She wrapped a short white towel over her midsection and let her hair loose. It cascaded halfway down her back in sharp waves.

"Don't even try anymore, Vick. You're a pervert. You're a wretch. Your only goal is to get one thing. And that's not happening." She pivoted and walked out of the bathroom. Vick returned to combing his virtually nonexistent hair and winked to himself in the mirror.

"Don't worry, champ. You might strike out but there's more than one inning."

XXX

**I'm finally done with this one—tell me what you think! **

**Love, Katie **


	14. Drabbles of the Best Kind

**FINALS WEEK=DOMINATED. **

**Except for Pre-Calculus, that can totally kiss my butt. Anyways I'm glad you all liked the last chapter—and the Johto Arc officially starts NOW. Keep telling me your fav ships (see last chapter) if you haven't already! IVE GOT THIRTY CAMPERS NOW. Holy ish. Well just expect some deaths here and there—some fateful goodbyes, and vacations! But mostly DEATH. MUAHAHAHAH. Just kidding it's sad so I'll stop laughing at others' dooms. Many thanks to ImaginationDomination and DevoTheMadCashCow for their lengthy and lovely reviews, in addition to the nice words from Blinx92 and CrazyYanmega. You guys make writing worth it! If I didn't mention you don't even trip—your time will come :D**

_**DISCLAIMER: IT IS EXTREMELY HARD TO KEEP TRACK OF OC'S. SO IF YOU ARE NOT IN A PARTICULAR CHAPTER—I DID NOT FORGET. YOU ARE SIMPLY MIA FOR ABOUT 4,000 WORDS. No big. :D **_

_**MIA=missing in action. For yalls who aren't sure. **_

XXX

Story Start:

"Thank you for your stay at the Hariyama, Mr. Tarkov. We hope to see you again." The secretary was too perky for an eight o'clock checkout, and Tarkov hadn't had his coffee yet. With a terse frown he responded.

"Yeah, right. You just want to see our money again." He snatched his credit card off of the polished marble counter and pivoted. The camp followed his lead out the glass doors and into the bustling streets of Neon City, and at the curb awaited the C.C. Bus. The fidgety valet handed Tarkov the keys and was lingering in high hopes for a tip. Tarkov, realizing the prolonged staring of the boy, laughed loudly.

"Not a chance, punk. Join the military and then see how charitable life is."

Hunter hung back with the campers as he stormed onto the bus. With half-scared, half-confused faces the teenagers began interrogating their female overseer.

"What is his problem?" Magden asked.

"Okay guys, we need to be really patient and respectful of Tarkov today. He got a call last night—Nana Tarkov is in the hospital. She fell and broke her hip trying to harass a group of boys who were vandalizing a pokemon center." Her voice was quiet and it implied that the information was to remain secret.

"Sure sounds like his grandmother." Daisuke scoffed. When Tarkov stuck his head out of the window to yell—the group quickly filed into the bus. Cameron plugged in a navigation system to the old wiring and typed in a few addresses.

"Where are we headed?" Someone shouted from the back.

"The Johto region is being conquered differently," Vick began. "Instead of staying in one place, like Mt. Moon in Kanto, we'll be travelling more frequently in the Johto region."

"That way, we can expose you budding trainers to more information, more pokemon—" Cameron's comment was cut off by a jovial yell from Hiro.

"And more ladies!" The male occupants of the bus cheered while the girls all glared. Kame felt a twinge of pain in her chest. Why did he have to be such a damn flirt all of the time?

Tarkov didn't even stand to reprimand him, which came as a shocking surprise to Hunter, so she took the place as punisher instead.

"Taminama, those comments are inappropriate and unappreciated by your female counterparts. One more strike and you're out, kid." She turned back to brushing the short brown fur of her Teddiursa.

The awkward silence that followed lingered for a few minutes, until Cameron decided to break it.

"How about some music? Or, even better, I've got an audiotape for the _Complete Bug-Pokemon Watcher's Field Guide_! It skips a lot during the chapter on Yanmegas—most likely because I've played it a million times—but the other information is not worth missing!" He excitedly shoved the cassette into the bus's old tape player and pushed play. A monotonous voice, introduced as Ivana Tinkle, began rambling about the thickness of a Caterpie's string versus a Spinarak's. Within thirty minutes the majority of the bus was asleep, except Cameron and the other counselors. Cameron was mouthing the words to the tape and Vick was comparing a map of general populations in the Johto Regions versus his little black book. Hunter looked over, confused.

"What are you doing, Tatter?" She asked, pointing to his book. Vick looked over and smirked before explaining.

"I'm comparing the towns with the highest female populations to the records in my black book." He said matter-of-factly.

"What's in your little black book?" She pressed.

Vick pantomimed zipping his lips shut and shook his head.

"Not in your wildest dreams, baby."

XXX

Sari Iralla walked down the streets of Goldenrod City, accompanied by her Seviper. The purple serpent slithered down the path alongside its master, keeping a sharp tongue out for any unwanted danger. Her objective was to locate and collect a boy by the name of Aaron Young. She remembered the severe yelling Betelgeuse gave her earlier, and cringed at the thought of failing this mission.

_"Meissa, if you fail this mission do you understand the consequences?" Betelgeuse's Zangoose almost purred in anticipation at her master's wrath. _

_"No." She spat, staring straight into his golden eyes. She had never considered Betelgeuse attractive, mainly due to his intimidating nature, yet if the terrifying personality was gone she decided he would be fairly nice to look at. _

_"The punishment for failure will be subjection to sacrifice." _

_"Wow, you're an ass, y'know that? What if this kid is on vacation or some other bullcrap, then what do I do?" She growled. _

_"This is why failure isn't an option." With a dark chuckle he left the room. Sari took the nearest thing within reach, a tattered old book, and hurled it towards the wall. It slowed to a suspended halt about three feet from the marble surface, making Sari scream in exasperation._

_"I HATE THIS PLACE! I HATE THE MESSED UP GRAVITY AND THE INSANE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE!" As Bellatrix walked by, Sari spat in her direction._

_"AND THE FOOD SUCKS, TOO!" _

By that time Sari had camped out in the Goldenrod City Pokemon center, the place where Aaron appeared, "each day at noon" according to the information sheet she carried. At 11:58 the boy walked in. He was of medium height, with spiked orange hair and golden eyes that rivaled the luster of Betelgeuse's. His Arcanine, who she heard being affectionately called "Grim," saw her Seviper and began to growl.

"Grim, what's your prob—" He caught Sari's gaze and gasped a little. His fleeting expression of surprise was replaced with a mask of reserve. A small smirk splayed across his lips as he walked over.

"I've never seen you around here before. What's your name, beautiful?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, Aaron Young?" Her mocking laughter wiped the smirk right off his face.

"How do you know me?" He bent down in her face and dropped his voice to a whisper.

"I'll tell you if you come with me." She compromised, standing quickly to push him back. He flashed a brief smile, revealing his unusually longer canine teeth. It gave Aaron a dangerously wolfish look, and the grin turned into a fierce glare.

"I'm not going anywhere." He snapped.

"Battle me for it. If I win, you're comin'. If I don't…" She scrambled for a compromise.

"I take you on a date." Aaron's real intention was to steal the wallet that was in her pocket, but he figured the girl would never figure it out. Sari laughed—a short, fake bark—and agreed.

"One on one. Outside." She strutted out of the premises and waited for the fiery-haired boy. He walked out and Grim sat by his side.

"C'mon, Seviper, let's go." The snake hissed its name before slithering out to battle. Grim leapt from his spot to face his opponent's side.

"Grim, Flamethrower!" An inferno escaped the fanged maw of the Arcanine, and it flew towards the snake.

"Dodge and use Bite!" She shouted. The snake quickly rolled out of harm's way and sprung towards the orange beast, sinking its red fangs deep within its fur. The poison from its fangs permeated through the Arcanine quickly, weakening the dog with every ragged breath.

"Shake it off, Grim! Use Fire Fang!" The Arcanine's bite rivaled the snap of the Seviper, and after a series of assaults from the fire pokemon the Seviper recoiled.

"Fight back, Seviper! Use Dark Pulse!" A conglomeration of darkness and raw energy was shot from the serpent's jaws, encompassing the surrounding air with a shadowed haze. The energy hit Grim in the gut and the dog was thrown a few feet back.

"Wrap him while he's down, Sev!" The snake took advantage of the opportunity and tightly constricted its coils around the dog's body. He thrashed under the viper's body, unable to break free.

"Flamethrower, Grim! Burn its face!" Aaron shouted. Right before the pokemon could release the fire Seviper tightened the hold around the Arcanine's neck. The fire was stopped in its throat and its insides were burned. After opening its mouth to free the smoke, the Arcanine fainted.

"Hah! We won! Great job, Sev!" At her praise the Seviper loosened its grip on the other pokemon, and slithered back to its master for a hug. Aaron called back his fallen companion and approached Sari.

"Well, I lost. Where are we going?"

"To the seventh circle of hell."

"My grandmother's house?" He joked. Sari punched him in the arm.

"This is serious ish, you idiot. Are you interested in world domination?" Aaron stopped in his tracks and looked at this stranger who was mutually interested in controlling the universe.

"Lead the way."

XXX

"All right, everyone! Get out! We're meeting the new arrivals soon!" Hunter shouted, standing up and brushing off her clothes. She leapt off of the bus and onto the main street of Azalea Town. When everyone had migrated into the pokemon center, Cameron spotted the new C.C. members dispersed around the room. Hiro, recognizing someone, immediately sprinted to her and swept her into a crushing bear hug.

"REINA! It's been so long since I've seen you!" He shouted in her ear. The girl in his arms (who was gasping for breath) was an aspiring trainer by the name of Reina Yuki. Her skin was pallid and her eyes were a mixture of red and brown. Her bronze-streaked hair cascaded to her waist, covering the red vest she wore. White denim shorts peeked from around her locks, and beneath those were black tights that stretched into her red and black running shoes. Hiro's Jolteon animatedly approached Reina's Umbreon, Shadow, and they exchanged long-awaited greetings.

Reina had once lived in Celadon near Hiro's family, but after her parents passed away she moved to Blackthorn City to live with her Grandfather Hiro. (Coincidence, I'm sure of it) The fourteen year old was finally released from the half-blind boy's grip and she smoothed her hair back before smiling.

Watching this brief-yet-affectionate exchange was Nick Spectra. Another resident of Blackthorn, the boy vaguely recognized Kame and the newly introduced Reina, but decided that their significance was trivial to him. The boy was around six feet tall, with a semi-muscular build. His brown hair lay across his forehead choppily, except for his right side, which was spiked over his right eye. He zipped up his black hoodie and crossed his arms, exposing the Ultra Ball logo on his shoulder. He wore a pair of loose grey jeans, held to his waist with a black leather trainer's belt. His pokemon, all in Ultra Balls, were clipped to this belt. On the right side of his neck was a puckered scar, a mark that if he were to remove his clothes (yum) would stretch down the entirety of his back. On the trainer's attractive face was a serious expression, and sensing his master's discomfort, his Umbreon matched his mood.

The two punk rockers by the names of Sid Vicious and Johnny Rotten immediately were interested in the arrival of Emily. Sid rose first to greet her, and was stopped short by Daisuke.

"Don't even touch her, asshole." He snarled, snaking an arm around her waist. Emily, disappointed from the lack of touching from Sid, but thrilled that Daisuke was claiming her, was torn.

"Oi, who said she was yours?" He retorted, throwing off his leather jacket and flipping off the red head.

"You wanna fight, you little British prick?" Daisuke challenged, removing the hoodie on his back and handing it to Emily.

Sid cracked his knuckles in one motion and smiled crookedly.

"Let's see whatcha got, Gingey!" He swung with all of his might and landed a right hook on Daisuke's jaw. The punker then leapt onto the disoriented boy's back and began yanking at the redhead's hair. Daisuke swung his elbow up and struck Sid's nose. Nick, a long term fan of fighting, jumped into the scuffle and began pounding the crap out of the both of them. Daisuke and Sid had diverted their attention from each other (and Emily) to attack the newcomer. Sid's Tyrogue began beating Nick's Umbreon, who in turn staved off multiple attacks from Daisuke's Pachirisu. The electric squirrel was electrocuting both pokemon and the trainers around it simultaneously, and when the commotion was finally noticed, Tarkov stepped out of his silent stupor to break up the fight.

"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" He roared, yanking the lanky Sid off of Daisuke's form, and prying Nick out of the grip of Daisuke's hands with his foot. The three boys glared at each other harshly—the testosterone was practically visible between them.

"WHAT COULD POSSIBLY MAKE YOU IDIOTS FIGHT IN A _POKEMON CENTER_?" Sid winked in Emily's direction, causing a deep blush to form on her cheeks. Tarkov looked from Sid to Emily, then back to Daisuke.

"OVER A FEMALE. _OVER A FEMALE?_ I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE _VERY_ INTERESTING AND IMPORTANT CREATURES, BUT IS THAT _REALLY _SOMETHING TO ATTACK YOUR COMRADE OVER?" The boys, realizing the frivolousness of their fight, shook their heads "no."

"Exactly. And _you_," He jabbed a finger at Spectra. "Newbie. I'm assuming you are also infatuated with this attractive young lady?" Nick laughed rather coldly at this accusation and shook his head.

"No way, she is completely _not_ my type. At all." Emily's mouth dropped open in shock at his blatant response, but decided that if at least two guys were fighting over her, then she'd be satisfied.

"Fine then. We certainly know who not to bunk together." Hunter said, snapping her fingers. Teddiursa lifted Nick with one paw and tossed him to the other side of the pokemon center. He landed on his back with a groan. The writhing mass of skin and bones was shot up with a fierce water gun—that came from an extremely excited Totodile. The Totodile skipped back to its master, awaiting praise for its trick. The girl who owned the crocodile looked up from her laptop and patted its head before resuming her furious typing. She would later be known as Setsuna Aozaki, an aspiring pokemon researcher. She ran a hand through her long silver hair, which covered the majority of her black long-sleeved shirt. She wasn't extremely tall—the black pants on her legs were a little too long, almost concealing the black running shoes beneath them. Her Totodile kept chanting its name happily, and Setsuna looked at it dancing in place. Her eyes, which were a scathing icy blue, softened momentarily at the sight of her pokemon. Next to her laptop bag was a small black case—and everyone assumed it was an instrument of some sort. At her side was her fellow Cherrygrove resident Reiji Asakura, who scanned Setsuna's computer screen now and again with glittering green eyes. He had brown hair and an infectious smile, one that was full of compassion and spirit. He wanted to be a pokemon doctor after the camp finished, and to him the goal seemed reachable. He was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt with a light jacket over it. On the back of the aforementioned jacket was a pokeball logo, and on his legs were a pair of dark tight jeans. His sneakers were white and spotless, as where the fingerless gloves that graced his fingers. Folded on the collar of his shirt was a pair of thin black-rimmed glasses, which according to Kai gave him a, "deliciously nerdy" look. At this comment Riley's previous judgments about him dissipated, replaced with a slight hatred for the newcomer.

"Who else is here for the camp?" Hunter called out, snatching the clipboard from Cameron and scanning the list. Cameron glared at his colleague—she was extremely aggravating to begin with, and stealing his clipboard has just placed her in the "red" so to speak.

No one in the center raised their hands or responded, so Hunter highlighted the "missing" students and began reading their names.

"Adrianne Montdor? Skyler Court?" With silence substituting their responses Hunter clicked the pen shut and tossed the clipboard back to Cameron.

"All right! Off to Ilex Forest then! Move out!" Teddiursa led a chain of campers and pokemon out of the automatic doors of the pokemon center and into Azalea Town once more. The fragrant aromas of the flowery town gently caressed the senses of the teenagers, stirring both imagination and emotion in one scent. The C.C. bus, which was now a bit crowded, began its rickety trek into the thick trees that made up Ilex Forest. The canopy grew so thick that the sun was almost completely obscured from view. Only in random places did the bright light shine through.

In the semi-darkness Kame nestled closer to Hiro and leaned her head on his shoulder. She breathed deeply but quietly, eager to intake his scent but remain conspicuous about it. The smell was so comforting to the young trainer that it melted her fears away. Hiro Taminama was the only person who had ever had this effect on her, and she decided that she liked it that way. Hiro, in response to Kame's advance, didn't react at all other than removing his arm from his side and pulling her closer. The cool touch of his skin was enough to drive Kame insane, but she managed to gain enough control to ignore it. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. It was slow and strong, compared to the erratic, panicky rhythm her heart marched to. With Hiro's calming metronome of a circulatory system rocking her to sleep, Kame drifted into the confines of her subconscious.

XXX

"Berane?" Talia whispered. The boy in question had fallen asleep on the window, and he was mumbling and twitching in his unconscious state. Under his lids his multi-colored eyes moved rapidly, and Talia deducted that he was having a nightmare. Small beads of sweat were forming near the hairline of his white hair—and he began breathing quickly.

"Wake up, Berane!" Talia shook him gently and the Dimonis boy did not stir. His movements were getting more violent and more startling, so Talia placed a delicate hand on his face. At her slight contact Berane's eyes shot open, and a harsh gasp drew air into his lungs quickly. Tears began rolling out of his eyes in hot streams and his breath hitched once more.

"It was awful, Talia. It was horrible." He whispered, linking his arm around her neck and burying his face in her hair. Talia did not think any less of Berane for crying—whatever startled him must have been extremely serious.

"What happened?"

"Team Orion happened," He began.

_Berane was standing on a wide open plain with the other members of the C.C. around him. The moon was full and large in the sky, casting everything into relief, and casting eerie shadows across the land. Next to the silver traveler were three stars—aligned perfectly. Suddenly shock overtook Berane Dimonis—and he reached for the object that was currently the most important thing to him: Talia. The blonde with the burnt orange eyes was nowhere to be found, however. A loud voice laughed from a few feet ahead—and on a raised rock platform stood the members of Team Orion, accompanied by Sari Iralla and another redheaded youth. Yet Berane knew the figure was not Daisuke—as the anarchist ginger stood at his side. A bound figure was screaming at the feet of their leader, a man who owned a Zangoose. From the light of the moon Berane spotted Talia's blonde hair, and panic stole berane's rational thought once more._

_The leader of Team Orion held up a cragged knife and plunged it deep within the chest of young Talia Martino. Crushing her windpipe with the blade, Talia's screams were cut instantly. Her blood flowed openly on the ground around her, and once the red liquid sunk into the cracks of the soil, a great rumbling took place within the earth. _

_A gut-wrenching, mortifying roar erupted from the depths of the ground, and through the earthy surface burst a beast so fearsome that Berane's heart skipped into his mouth. Its head was circular yet misshapen, with oddly inflated or angular appendages, including horns, protruded from the skull of this monstrosity. In its gaping maw were rows upon rows of fang-like teeth, glimmering with a hungry glow in the bright moonlight. Its claws were yellowed and curled, and scooped up the packed earth as if it were made of gelatin. _

_It hoisted itself out of the hole it created and faced Team Orion. Their leader began speaking in an old language, a mixture of long vowels and seemingly Latin dialects. Recognizing the strange tongue the beast halted its assault on Team Orion, and turned its attention towards the tiny bleeding body of Talia. With one claw her corpse was raised, and with a flick of its colossal, scaly hand her body disappeared into its mouth. At the taste of flesh the beast howled at Team Orion's leader, most likely for its desire to consume more. _

_"Eat, great beast of Orion! Eat whatever may please you across this earth!" The beast paused for a moment, its large nostrils flaring in and out. Tasting the air. It wheeled around and locked its yellow eyes upon the members of the C.C. _

"…And that's when I woke up. Talia, I can't lose you. Not now." He whispered, breathing in her floral scent and latching onto her faux leather jacket. Talia smoothed the ruffles on her pale pink dress and inhaled before placing her hands on Berane's. She laced his fingers with his and began to sing quietly. The melody was soft, slow, and oddly familiar, but after a few moments Berane felt his heart beat stabilize, and began placing kisses on the young Italian's forehead. All would be well.

XXX

"Everyone out of the bus! I know it's dark—shut your mouths and open your eyes if you can't see! We're making camp in this clearing, so unload the crap from under the bus and get moving!" Tarkov shouted. After twenty minutes of unfolding canvas, driving tent poles, and digging a large fire pit—Camp Catchem'all was on its way to being built. The temporary camp was being constructed in stages—tents first, food stations second, leisure construction third. Tarkov's Nidoqueen displayed excellent woodworking skills—six picnic tables were carved within fifteen minutes. By nightfall (which was a laugh due to the fact that every inch of the sky was obscured by trees) camp was finished. Hiro's Charizard ignited a roaring fire within the pit—and after fiddling with the old generators and wiring Cameron managed to string strands of lights between three colossal oak trees—crisscrossing and intersecting in the space above them. Tonight's dinner would be roasted weenies, which would be accompanied by an assortment of sautéed vegetables, thanks to the cooking finesse of Vick.

"So what're the sleeping arrangements?" AC inquired, slipping a shifty smile in Magden's direction. Hunter rolled her eyes at the young teen, unaware of the sultry looks that Vick was shooting her as well.

"The arrangements include six people to a tent. We've packed light and close quarters won't kill anyone." Tarkov quipped, piercing two raw hot dogs with a sharpened stick. He stuck them in the fire until they ignited. He waited for three seconds and blew them out.

"So six to a tent? Easy enough." Venice started, counting the heads silently in her mind.

"There's twenty-eight people total, with twenty-six campers and four counselors. The smallest tent can go to the counselors, and after that we just split up!" She exclaimed.

"But where will our luggage go?" Kai asked.

"We'll keep it under the bus for now, but we can organize it by gender so finding it won't be difficult." Cameron suggested. Yanmega was currently hovering in the canopy above the camp—keeping watch for any obvious danger. Through the split vision of its kaleidoscope-like eyes 360 degree scanning was possible.

Hiro walked over to the bus and pulled out his acoustic guitar. Seeing the instrument Sid and Johnny got very excited—enough to retrieve their guitars as well.

"Wait, I thought you guys only had electric instruments!" Emily noted.

"A musician has many instruments, love." Sid replied, tuning his Spanish guitar to Hiro's strumming.

Daisuke tightened his grip on the log he was sitting on—he was sick of this idiot flirting with his girl. Wait—_his_ girl? Since when was the almighty Daisuke ever tied down? This was impossible. He couldn't let some skank hold him back. He decided from that moment on that if Emily wanted to pursue the British punk, that was fine by him.

He didn't need anyone.

XXX

"It's the C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E-S-O-N-G SONG!" Johnny, Sid, and Hiro led the camp through the final chorus of the "Campfire Song" long after the counselors had gone to bed. Because it was the first night, and the counselors figured they wouldn't be doing much tomorrow anyways, they allowed a late curfew. Those who detested singing and dancing altogether escaped the jocular mini-concert by either going to bed or exploring the forest. Kai, who was starting to get a headache, began scaling the large trees with her Houndoom. When she reached the top branches of the weathered sequoia Kai nestled herself in a soft bough of leaves.

"Look, Houndoom. The stars are out tonight." She closed one eye and connected the stars with a pointer finger, mildly amusing herself until she fell across Orion's constellation. The stars were still jagged—yet it was obvious that they had shifted into something reminiscent of a line.

"I wonder what will happen then." She begged that no one she cared about would be hurt. She didn't want any more pain in the world. Experiencing enough hurt and tragedy, Kai did not want anyone else to have to go through what she did.

And although Kai knew that the camp attracted orphans, delinquents, abuse-stricken kids, the unloved, and the outcasts, she still felt like she had one of the worst pains. Knowing that her own mother detested her so much as to send her away struck a pain through Kai that was crippling. Even though her name meant forgiveness, Kai would never forgive anyone who abandoned her. That's why she feared losing the ties she made with the others in the camp—especially Riley. He had definitely breached some defenses that Kai had thrown up (specifically to avoid attachment, to avoid seeming weak, to avoid being taken advantage of) and Kai wanted to let him in so badly. The aspiring trainer closed her eyes and sighed in exasperation. She figured that if karma existed, it was just a coldhearted beeotch. She figured that, through all the good deeds and compassion Kai showed, why shouldn't she be given a break? Even a little one? But no. One can't ever have their way for once, can they?

As if the universe was offended at Kai's accusations, a soft whistling sound swept across the sky. Kai looked up and saw a great black shadow blocking the moon. Diving into defense mode Houndoom secured her footing before crouching in front of her master. But when the shape flew closer Kai realized it was a Charizard. A _black_ Charizard. Her heart leapt at the thought of Riley finding her.

"Kai, there you are! Holy crap woman, don't go scaring me like that!" The vulgar boy leapt off of his pokemon to tackle Kai. He lifted the small girl in his arms and laughed.

"Why are you all alone up here? Wouldn't you rather bunk with me?" He whispered the last few words in her ear, and as his voice adopted a more suggestive tone Kai's heart began skipping erratically.

"N-no re-ea-son! J-ju-s-s-t t-h-hink-i-n-ng!" her attempts at lying were always futile. Riley sighed before blowing the girl's bangs out of her violet eyes.

"Listen, purple lamps, you don't have to lie to me. I like you. You like me. We can't deny that one. So when you're ready to open up, come find me. I'll be shirtless." With his signature smirk and a quick kiss on the cheek, Riley mounted his Charizard and took off into the warm summer night.

XXX

"What songs do you guys know that have girls' names in them?" Venice asked, always eager for flirting and or praise. Sid rubbed his chin for a moment and looked at Johnny.

"I'm at a loss, lass. It's really late and I've got ta get my beauty sleep. Good night, lovely women." Sid and Johnny stood and walked back to the bus to put away their guitars and dress for bed. That left Hiro and his acoustic.

"I know one about Jessica." He offered, clearing his throat before beginning the tune. After a few rounds of the chorus the group began humming along.

_"Oh, give it up, give it up, Jessica  
Oh, won't you just let me go?  
All the secrets you keep  
And the words that you speak  
Mean more to me than you'll know  
Oh, give it up, give it up, Jessica  
Oh, won't you just let me go?  
All the secrets you keep inside  
Mean more to me  
They mean more to me than you'll know."_

Little did Jessica know that every word out of Hiro's mouth were true to Tyler. He had been aching to reveal his feelings to her, but couldn't muster up the courage. She was the weak link in his chain of flirting and ex-girlfriends. She was the first that would change him.

XXX


	15. MicroChapter: Desolate Disaster Part 1

**Hello reader children, **

**I have tonsillitis. AKA strep throat. And it sucks. On top of that BS I've got a sinus infection. So my life sucks. But that's okay, because I'm not at school (YES) and I'm writing this chappie for you guys. Thank you CrazyYanmega for this outstanding prophecy. **

**Tell me what you think, and don't hate me for what happens. **

**Love, Katie.**

XXX

Story Start:

Desolate Disaster Part One

In the confines of the Team Orion headquarters, Betelgeuse had organized an emergency meeting. As the half-asleep members shuffled into the conference room, Betelgeuse was assembling a telescope. He screwed in the brass bolts and polished the lens delicately. Once it was completed he pressed a button on the wall. The marble ceiling split to reveal the night sky. Thousands of glittering stars peppered the horizon, and Betelgeuse aimed the brass instrument until he fell across his desired target.

"Orion's belt is on its way," He began. "And our beast shall be revived. I came across this priceless piece of information that completes the prophecy we have unearthed." He snapped his fingers and Zara leapt from her perch with a scroll in her mouth. The parchment was yellowed and crunchy, and Betelgeuse gingerly unraveled it before speaking.

"As you all know, the stone tablet we uncovered at the Ruins of Alph contained the prophecy of Orion's Beast. After taking it to numerous black market research labs we've translated the tablet onto this parchment. What we have right now is this:

_"Ov-r the arm-es of Darkn-ss t-is -east -ol-s s-ay,  
And s-all rein -ts power ove- a-l -he lan-.  
-locked by the -wers of Eart-, -ea, and Air,  
Awak-ned b- -e T-rors of the Skies._

No- -he Chosen one - - -, they meet with Orion's belt,  
A heroes fate they sh- - -ond, of Life and Death they make.  
Darkening Lightness from their path, consuming all they see.  
-ning Darkness fr-m their path, -ing all they see."

He looked up from the parchment to about ten pairs of confused eyes. Aaron, the newcomer, was still being assimilated into the goals and practices of Team Orion, and raised his hand to comment.

"What the hell is this prophecy going to do?" He asked.

"This prophecy is a set of directions, _don't you get it_?" Betelgeuse shouted.

"Uhh, no, if I did would I be asking you?" He retorted. Zara the Zangoose growled menacingly and Betelgeuse raised his hand to stop her.

"Meissa, control your inferior." He commanded. Sari raised her eyebrows at the thought of an inferior—and Aaron's mouth dropped open of the thought at having this girl _be_ his superior.

"Uh—shut up Aaron." She ordered. Aaron rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"Whatever." He ran his tongue over his sharp incisors a few times before sighing.

"Back to what I was saying. The stone tablet is the key to our success. The spaces we have were places where the carvings were illegible. But if we can piece together the rest of the prophecy—victory will be ours." He chuckled darkly. Sari replayed the broken prediction in her head a few times—and decided it wasn't complete.

"I think half of it is missing." She interjected.

"It seems logical, yes, as the piece we found would be the bottom half of a large stone tablet." Betelgeuse said.

"But where is the top?"

XXX

Hiro Taminama awoke violently. He was jarred from a nightmare he couldn't remember, but as soon he realized he was safe his heart began to slow down. He looked to his left—saw Riley roll in his sleep—and decided it was time to get up. It was still dark out, thanks to the thick canopy, but Hiro knew it was daytime. He walked to the bus and unlatched the bottom compartment, rummaging for his duffel bag. After retrieving his shampoo and a fresh pair of clothes, he set off with Jolteon for the lake.

When he reached the waters he crouched to check the temperature, which was alarmingly cold. But not for Hiro. For the cold-loving trainer the frigid lake was the perfect start to a new day. He leapt into the icy depths and swam out to where his feet stopped touching. Jolteon, who really didn't prefer water, quickly washed in the shallow banks. When both trainer and pokemon had finished the pair began the trek back to camp. Along the way Hiro took in the forest, in all its quietness and—wait. It was too quiet. Hiro noticed that _zero_ pokemon were out, the wind had stopped, and no signs of life were present. The boy dropped to the ground and crouched behind a tree.

"Jolt. Do you smell anything?" He breathed. The electric type stuck its nose in the air and inhaled—sneezing three or four times. Jolteon put its paws over its nose and whined.

"Something's not right here…"

Feeling soft vibrations in the ground, Hiro laid his ear to the forest floor.

"They're coming from the north?" He guessed aloud. As if to answer his question, a piercing roar cut through the forest. Hiro leapt from where he was hiding and scooped up Jolteon. He broke into a dead sprint towards camp, and mentally cursed himself for not bringing Charizard's pokeball. Whatever had made that cry was now following him, smashing down enormous trees and cutting a wide path in the process. Hiro cleared a small bush and tripped over an exposed root on his left side. He hit the ground with a thud and his head connected with another root. When his vision began to blur and the forest began spinning, Hiro closed his eyes. Jolteon, fervently trying to rouse his master, licked Hiro's face repeatedly. When that failed the pokemon electrocuted Hiro. With an exasperated growl the Jolteon clamped onto Hiro's skinnies and began to tug. Dragging his trainer the remaining distance would not tire the pokemon, but it would eat valuable time.

Meanwhile, back at the camp the roar of Hiro's assailant awoke Tarkov. The ex-general sprang out of the tent—already dressed in his combat uniform—and released his monstrous Rhyhorn. Tarkov ran to the bus, pulled out an air horn and blew it.

"EVERYONE AWAKE! WE ARE IN FULL COMBAT MODE AS OF NOW!" He bellowed. Vick and Cameron were the first to spring into action—arming themselves with their respective pokemon (Vick's Salamence and Yanmega). Hunter's Teddiursa leapt onto one of the tables, followed by her trainer, who took charge of aligning the kids. Tarkov took off into the brush followed by Vick and Cameron. Following the cries of the Jolteon, Yanmega flew ahead and located the stranded pair. In the trees was an enormous shadow—and even with vision as sharp as Yanmega's the shape was indistinguishable. When the counselors arrived, Cameron took to examining Hiro while Vick and Tarkov held their ground. The shadow moved infinitesimally and Vick barked an attack.

"Grant! Aim at the shadow with Flamethrower!" The shadow moved to dodge the attack, knocking over six or seven trees in the process. When their trunks smashed into the ground the earth shook terribly, and where the trees once stood brilliant beams of sunlight shone through. The first shadow was revealed to be a Steelix, who had a brunette upon its back. From behind it a second shadow emerged, and it was identified by Cameron as a Metagross. Except this Metagross was colossal. Instead of its normal five-foot height, this beast was around seven feet tall. On the pokemon's back was a blonde woman with short hair. Simultaneously the two pokemon rocketed hyperbeams at the C.C. group. Jolteon diverted one with a thunderbolt, and the other was received by Salamence head on. The dragon-like pokemon cried in pain, and Vick's anger rose. Tarkov ordered his Rhyhorn to charge the Steelix, and the poor beast only cleared thirty yards before it was raised into the air. Metagross, using its psychic abilities, had suspended the two ton rhinoceros six feet off of the ground.

"Yanmega! Go back for help!" Cameron ordered. Using its speedy wings the dragonfly raced towards camp. He pulled another pokemon from the pocket of his khakis and threw it at the offenders.

"Heatran, use Flash Cannon!" The lava dome pokemon landed a hit on Steelix, causing it to recoil.

"Metagross, clear the area!" The blonde commanded. Using its enormous arms, the beast combined psychic power and brute strength to destroy around forty trees. With space to battle, the giant pokemon moved into the clearing.

"Steelix, use Rock Tomb!" The brunette shouted. Mountains of boulders buried the floating Rhyhorn where it hovered. Tarkov cursed loudly and called back his trusted companion.

"Dammit! Let's go, Electabuzz!" Flexing its large muscles, the electric pokemon sent a bolt of electricity towards the Metagross. The beast took some damage, but not enough to stipend the raw strength.

"Hammer Arm, Metagross!" She cackled. Electabuzz dodged the blow and unleashed a powerful Charge Beam at the Metagross. Vick's Salamence doubled the attack with a Dragon Rage, and Cameron's Heatran focused on the brunette's Steelix.

"Lava Plume, Heatran!" Magma exploded from the lava dome pokemon and began to sear the body of the Steelix. It swung its monstrous tail and smashed Heatran three feet into the ground.

Back at camp, all of the teenagers were eager to dive into battle—but Hunter wouldn't have any part of it.

"Are you all insane? You'll be killed! No one is to go out into that forest unless they're accompanied by me. And me only." She added. Behind her back were Jessica and Tyler. When the campers saw them leaving Jessica held one finger to her lips, begging her friends to stay quiet. They slipped into the brush and out of sight. Tyler called out Rikel, his Luxray, and leapt onto his back. He waited for Jessica to summon her Skarmory and fall in line beside him.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Tyler asked her. Jessica nodded hard and swallowed a lump in her throat.

"I had another dream. A dream that looked like a crude painting and it was telling me that this was going to happen! We have to follow it!" At the word "painting" Tyler needed no further explanation. He urged Rikel forward. Jessica mounted Skarmory and the metal armor pokemon flew low, maneuvering around multiple trees to stay near Rikel and Tyler. Finding the counselors was easy, due to the sounds and sights of the battle in front of them.

"Join the others! I'm going to see who those women are!" Jessica ordered. Tyler broke formation and skidded to a stop next to Tarkov.

"What're you doing out here? Isn't Hunter suppos—never mind, boy! Just get in that fight and help us!" Rikel leapt next to the weakened Electabuzz and shocked it, recharging its batteries. The Electabuzz roared in thanks and faced the Metagross.

"Thunder!" Tarkov boomed.

Gathering the energy within, the Electabuzz sent the built up electricity at the Metagross.

"Protect!" The blonde screamed. Throwing up a defense at the last moment was risky, but ultimately proved successful. The attack bounced off the barrier as harmlessly as a fly would.

Jessica had swooped to a higher tier of the forest, and dove right by the brunette. Her eyes were wild and her dark hair billowed behind her like an evil veil. She spotted Jessica and began laughing. Shocked that she had been discovered, Jessica turned Skarmory around and flew the other direction. The brunette pulled something small and black from her pocket, aimed at Jessica, and shot. A small hook barreled towards her, and buried itself in Jessica's back. She shrieked in agony as the line of the hook pulled taut. The aspiring coordinator was yanked from her pokemon's back and drawn in the direction of the brunette.

"Can't get away from old Bella, can we?" She sneered, pushing a button on the object in her hand. The wire began reeling itself in, pulling Jessica back like a hooked Magikarp: defenseless and weak. The other woman saw what Bellatrix was doing and stopped battling momentarily.

"Bellatrix! He said no deaths!" She snapped.

"Oh Mintaka. I'm not going to kill the poor girl. …Yet." She smiled crookedly at Jessica, whose new-found fear had clenched a hold on her heart. She scrambled to run away but the metal hook in her skin pulled and stretched angrily. Bellatrix shook her head and pushed another button, which sent a current of electricity down the wire and through Jessica's nervous system. She was struck numb and could only watch her assailant drag her closer. Her Skarmory dove for its trainer, snapping crazily at the wire. A third pokemon (paired with another villain) began its assault on Jessica's protective pokemon. A redheaded, wolf-like trainer came in swinging on an Arcanine. The beast clamped on Skarmory's hard exterior, ignoring the bite of the metal, and managed to shake it away from its trainer. Jessica threw orders out at her friend, desperate to free herself and her pokemon from such peril. She clutched the silver necklace around her neck—it was the only thing that kept her from going insane at that moment. Her mother gave her the little silver locket right before she left for camp, in hopes that it would bring her daughter luck and protection. She fumbled with the clasp and took a fleeting glance at the small picture of her family.

It featured her mother, dark and beautiful, seated next to her father. Jessica looked at her sisters, who were exact copies of their father, smiling at the camera. And there was a younger version of herself, the only daughter to look like their mother, gripping at a baby Ralts. The family was happy, together, and completely out of harm's way. But the same couldn't be said for Jessica.

She was yanked up on the Steelix's back by Bellatrix, who punched Jessica in the mouth. Her jaw went slack and her brain grew fuzzy. Before her world went black she hoped that whoever was watching over her would start doing their job, and would get her out of trouble soon.

XXX

"Twenty two." Hunter stopped her count the same time her heart did. _Two were missing. _

"Who's missing? Who?" She demanded, scanning the concerned faces of every camper before panicking.

"JESSICA AND TYLER!" She wheeled and summoned Tropius.

"WATCH THESE CAMPERS!" She ordered, sprinting into the trees with her Teddiursa. The Tropius bowed its leafy head to the campers and let out a long roar. It wasn't about to let anyone leave.

Hunter leapt over bush and log, budding flowers and streams, just to reach her children in time. There was no way she could let anything happen. These kids were like kids of her own—and she cherished every one as if they were. She tackled Tyler, who was in the middle of commanding Rikel to attack, and grabbed the collar of his shirt.

"_Where is Jessica_?" She snapped. Tyler shrugged and ordered a Thunderbolt from Rikel. The shock shattered the defense of the Metagross.

"You aren't listening, Mason! Find her!" A sickening scream acme from across the clearing, a scream that was induced by a sickening punch to the face. Hunter's trained eye (honed for tracking teenagers) spotted Jessica on the back of the Steelix. Tyler gasped and wriggled free from Hunter's grip, calling out Solu, his Absol. He sprinted to his friend and tried to scale the body of the Steelix.

"MASON! GET BACK HERE!" Hunter shrieked. But she was too late. Tyler was struck by a rock thrown by Aaron's Arcanine, and he too fell unconscious. Binding the two together, Bellatrix stole into the forest, abandoning her two colleagues to take the hostages away.

"Yanmega! Follow them!" Cameron shouted. When it darted into the clearing Metagross stopped the insect with its telekinetic powers.

"Better luck next time!" Mintaka jeered, and with a brilliant flash of light the two Orion Members were gone.

XXX

"How could we let them take those children!" Hot tears streamed down the beautiful face of Hunter, who was pacing furiously across the campsite.

"I knew the brunette," Vick piped. "She's in Team Orion."

"They all were members! I recognized them from the mansion, except the young one." Tarkov added.

"Where did they take them?" Reiji asked. Hunter glanced at the campers, who all stared in apparent concern.

"I don't know, kids. But what I do know is that these villains are serious. These aren't your run-of-the-mill, steal-your-pokemon-and-fail kind of bad guys. They're very dangerous and very real. From now on we can't hope to continue without extreme caution." Hunter explained.

"So we're just going to leave them out there?" Anthony growled. Injustice, even in the darkest moments, was intolerable to the Delafuente. His brother stood and put a hand on his shoulder, signifying that he agreed with his twin.

"No. We've got to find them." AC stood and put his fist in the air.

"All for one and one for all!" Venice shouted, dragging James up with her. Despite his lone-wolf tendencies he nodded as well. Setsuna, meanwhile, was typing away at her laptop, and inhaled slowly before interjecting.

"Our chances of success are slim. Comparing the percentage of retrieving them with their location, which is unknown, and the probability of losing lives along the way is extremely high, but…one percent is better than nothing." She looked up with cold eyes and held up her fist. She was in, too.

"It seems like we're on a mission now." Vick said. He looked to Tarkov for the official order.

"It's decided. We pack up and leave in an hour. Get moving." With a collective, inspired cheer, the campers began to pack.

XXX

**Really short, but I thought id just give you all a small taste before I go to the doctor (for my final sentence D: ) **


	16. Stickin' it to the Man, Man

**Okay, more representation this chapter. I have two three day weekends coming up! So happy :D **

**Anyways PLEASE review and lemme know what I should change, add, take out, kill off, etc!**

**(oh and I honestly have no idea about the hoenn region, so I might just skip over to the Sinnoh. It's still undecided whether im going to unleash hell in the Johto region and have chaos carry over into another region? I am SO undecided so help me out here. T_T) I ALSO KNOW THE RESPECTIVE DISTANCES BETWEEN GOLDENROD AND ECRUTEAK. ELAPSED TIME IS NOT TAKEN INTO ACCORD. **

**Here we go! What will happen to Jessica and Tyler? **

XXX

Story Start:

Jessica awoke in a cold, damp place. Her back was on fire, and when she shifted the scabbed skin pulled and stung. She cataloged her other injuries—a swollen eye and a few minor bruises, but nothing was pulled or broken. The young ranger tried to wriggle herself free from her fetters but after a minute of struggle she gave up. Waiting for her eyes to adjust to the stony cell was a nuisance, but when the darkness became a little more distinguishable she noticed Tyler on the floor across the cell. His back was facing her, and his body was curled in an odd position. Her breath hitched—was he even alive?

She scraped her way along the stone floor to his side and laid her head on his back, straining to feel a pulse. Although it was weak and erratic, the beat was there. Jessica sighed in relief—her friend was going to be okay. At her touch and proximity Tyler rolled over and groaned.

"J-Jessica?" He mumbled. He coughed feebly and a few spurts of blood came out.

"Oh my god, Tyler, you're okay! Where are you hurt?" She asked.

"I got hit in the back of the head." He moaned, and at the mention of his injury it seemed his headache decided to intensify.

"It's going to be okay." Jessica promised. She only hoped that what she said was true.

XXX

"Okay." Hunter breathed, shoving the lower compartments shut. The students and counselors were all in the bus, which had now been painted a dark black. It was agreed that if the yellow bus they usually drove was camouflaged, the safer their quest would be. Once Tarkov had shut everyone up he began his speech.

"They've abducted two of our fellow campers. Our objective: retrieve these hostages with no further loss or capture of life. We will be travelling the forests, the back roads, always avoiding the obvious places we'd be. They _knew_ we'd be in Ilex. They always seem to know where we're going. One will never, ever go anywhere unaccompanied. Is this understood?" He said grimly. Everyone nodded and Tarkov sat down. Cameron turned the old key and the bus' engine sputtered to life.

"Make a course for the main path." Vick instructed, searching a map of the area. Cameron carefully maneuvered around the foliage until the cleared road appeared. Yanmega was perched on the roof of the C.C. bus, in his usual position as sentinel.

"First off, we'll be heading to Goldenrod City to stock up." Vick said.

"Isn't that counter-productive? Aren't we supposed to be avoiding big cities?" Rey asked.

"The bus will wait on the outskirts. The counselors will be going into town." He replied. After a short while the black C.C. bus stopped in a dense thicket on the outer ring of Goldenrod City.

"Any volunteers to come with?" Hunter asked, releasing her Tropius. Anthony and Rey raised their hands—and followed the counselors out of the forest.

"Stay and watch over them, Tropius. Ahh…" She closed her eyes and pointed. Her finger fell on Setsuna.

"You're in charge!" She concluded, skipping ahead with the rest of her party.

Setsuna sighed and opened her laptop.

"Make yourselves comfortable, we're not going to be doing anything."

Reiji took this time to seat himself beside his friend and to glance at her screen periodically. Hiro and Riley crouched in the dirt, drawing lines in the reddish soil and mumbling quietly. All of the other girls were seated in the bus, while most of the guys were out in the hot summer sun.

"When are things going to go back to normal?" Alex sighed, petting Tails fervently. Magden shrugged and looked out of the window.

"Whenever this team Orion bullcrap is over. I'm sick of those freaks." She spat. Talia looked up from brushing Glameow's short fur and nodded.

"It's time we took matters into our own hands." She said boldly.

"What?" Was the resounding cry from the majority of the bus. Talia nodded once more.

"We need to go after Jessica and Tyler. Now. No more waiting, they could be killed by the time we reach them!" She stressed. Kaiya gave her a high-five and agreed.

"It's time to take back our campers!"

XXX

"Grab that case of water. We need lighter foods, Vick, put down those steaks." Hunter ordered, crossing off items on her grocery list with a red pen. The pen scratched along the white paper with a curt sound, and a few times the tip punctured the writing pad.

"You need to stop gripping that pen too hard, Hunter. You'll get a cramp." Cameron suggested.

She wheeled on him and glared.

"Torvenal, now would _not _be the time to aggravate me." She growled. Cameron stuck up both his hands in submission and continued on, comparing canned beets and canned asparagus with Yanmega. Following Cameron was Tarkov, who was startled by a nagging vibration at his hip. He yanked the cell phone off of his pocket, checked the number, and placed the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

_"Yes, Hi, my name is Maria Delafuente. I'm calling to arrange the retrieval of my children." _

"Good morning Mrs. Delafuente, are you sure you want them out of the camp?"

_"I'm absolutely sure! Have you seen the news lately? I'm surprised your little camp hasn't been shut down!" _

"Uh, no I haven't, ma'am, but I'd be happy to arrange a pick up for you. Where are you currently?"

_"Well, news reports say you're all in Ilex forest, so my husband and I are in Goldenrod City at a hotel. The Manaphy Manor, it's called." _

"Perfect. I'll send the boys there with an escort and my full apologies."

_"I sure hope so. Good day, General Tarkov." _

The woman hung up promptly, leaving Tarkov with a scowl on his face and suppressed pressure in his veins.

"Anthony, Rey! Go with Vick to the Manaphy Manor, your parents are gonna take you home." He growled, snatching a lantern off of the shelf and setting it in the basket.

"WHAT?" Rey roared.

"What about our stuff?" Anthony protested.

Vick released Grant, his Salamence, and gave him directions to retrieve the luggage of the Delafuente twins.

"Don't worry, we'll try to get you back in. How about in another region?" Vick supplied, patting the back of the older twin. But it was no use. Their hearts were already broken as they began to trudge towards the front door.

XXX

Jessica frantically dug in her pockets, trying to see whether they had taken her possessions. Her locket was no longer around her neck, her pokemon were gone, and so was her phone—there was no way out. After delicately checking Tyler as well, his pockets too had been emptied.

"We need to think of a plan." She hissed, nudging her cellmate with one hand. He rolled to face her and smiled.

"It's okay. They have to feed us, right? We'll just make a break for it."

"Okay…" She was not assured in the least. Jessica's heart then jumped into her throat, for she had forgotten about her last pokemon. Although a trainer was normally allowed six—she had concealed a seventh—an emergency pokemon for times like this. She scrambled to rip off one of her muddy sneakers, and lifted the old sole until a red pokeball fell into her hand. The sigh of relief was torn from her chest, and a wide smile spread across her lips.

"What are you smiling at Jess—oh my god." Tyler sat up, cried out because of his ribs, and fell back down. Jessica ran her finger over the tiny pokeball, and then clicked the opener. Expanding to its full size, she called out the pokemon within. Xenon, her little Gastly, bobbed in the air above her. The Gastly was smaller than normal, and the gas around Xenon was a light teal color—compared to the normal purple the pokemon generated. Xenon smiled happily and blinked her eyes a few times before waiting for directions.

"I need you to help me, Xenon. Take a look around this place. Tyler and I are trapped and I need you to help us out. But don't let them see you." She whispered. The Gastly swooped near her trainer and nuzzled Jessica's curly hair for a few moments before dissipating into the marble wall. When the Gastly reached the hallway, she only saw darkness leading in both directions. No stranger to the lack of light, she followed her instincts and headed left. She kept to the shadowed ceilings, remembering her master's warning not to be seen. After a short ways she came upon a large room with a low marble table. A bronze telescope was constructed on this table, and there were about ten chairs scattered around the room. Dismissing the visual she pressed on until she found another hallway. There were multiple doors here, each slightly ajar. Upon entering the first room she found a woman with wild black hair, arranging pokeballs on the mahogany desk. After examining them closely Xenon realized they were Jessica's! The woman stopped for a moment and turned her face upward, flaring her nostrils slowly. Almost as if she could _smell_ Xenon. The Gastly quickly dissolved into the ceiling and found herself in a room that resembled a lab. She didn't feel the usual pull of gravity here—in fact it almost wasn't present in the entire vicinity. She bobbed up to the ceiling with almost no effort—and watched a man with dark hair and golden eyes type away at a computer. He was muttering something to a Zangoose, who looked over her shoulder periodically, sensing Xenon's presence. The Gastly ignored the paranoid Zangoose and turned her attention to the enormous computer screen. On its surface were pictures of a pokemon Xenon had never seen—something black and gruesome. He clicked on something and it zoomed into the picture, dissecting the beast and showing its innards. Next to the man was a crunchy scroll of parchment, to which he referred to every now and then. He seemed frustrated, as if he didn't understand something. He minimized the screen and opened another—which pictured a few pokemon Xenon recognized very well. The three legendary birds—Zapdos, Moltres, and Articuno, shadowed by Groudon, Rayquasa, and Kyogre. The Terrors of the Skies and the Elemental Trio. Xenon decided that whatever he was planning was evil, and then moved through the wall to a kitchen-like area. Conveniently on the wall was a map, and the cell where Jessica was captive was at the lowermost point in the building. Xenon noticed that the place was buried about ten feet below a graveyard, in particular directly beneath one grave. A picture of the tombstone was taped above the map—and on its surface was the message, "Orion, Great Hunter and Tamer of Beasts." This made no sense to Xenon and she absorbed the keys on the wall. Just then a young boy came into the room—and charged at Xenon. A colossal Arcanine bounded behind him, and panicking, Xenon dropped the keys and fled back to her master. Jessica was confused when Xenon fervently touched her pokeball, until she heard screaming and cursing coming down the stairs. She quickly recalled her companion and shoved the ball into her shoe—tying the worn laces seconds before Aaron threw open the door.

He scanned the cell for any sign of disturbance (aka a Gastly) and looked upon the sleep-feigning Jessica and bemoaning Tyler with disgust.

"Sleep well, you pathetic brats." He clattered down a plate full of grayish mush and slammed the cell shut.

XXX

"I say we ditch the counselors." AC suggested. Some approving sounds erupted from the more audacious campers, while the more rule-following found the idea brash.

"How do we get past Hunter's Tropius, first off, second, what's your plan after that?" Magden retorted. AC merely shrugged.

"We can knock out Tropius and escape in small groups of no larger than four—that way when they try and track us they won't catch us all." Setsuna said, typing something into her laptop.

"Okay, that's perfect—now how about a lead to Jessica and Tyler?" Venice snapped.

"Hm, we can try the pokemon center in town?" Alex suggested. Mark nodded and agreed.

"Alex and I can disguise ourselves and go check!" Setsuna opened a few tabs on her computer and began typing everyone's' names into a table.

"Sorting by task is easier. Who _doesn't_ want anything to do with this?" She asked. Reina, Nick, Daisuke, and Emily raised their hands.

"Okay, this group stays with the counselors. Make sure you don't give in to Tarkov's interrogations, and keep us informed. The old crab's gotta have some walkie talkies." Reiji ordered, rummaging through the undercarriage of the bus. He pulled out a large metal box and flipped open the clasps. Inside were ten walkie talkies—all in pristine condition.

"Perfect!" AC shouted, grabbing one and flipping the "on" switch. After a few seconds of static the sound cleared until the device waited for a command. Sid grabbed another and set it to the same channel as AC's.

"OI!" He shouted into the receiver. A half-second later the sound was replicated through AC's talkie, and everyone let out a collective sigh of relief; the radios were functional.

"So how are we splitting up then?" Johnny asked, sinking his teeth into a candy bar. This was an act common for the British boy, and an act that was also his namesake. "Johnny Rotten" was because of bad dental hygiene, not a unique last name. Setsuna turned to her computer and put all the names into a random draw.

"Group One: Myself, Reiji, Talia, and Berane. We'll be team Alpha." She read off.

"Group Two: Sid, Johnny, AC, and Magden. You guys are Beta." Magden gave AC an excited glance and high-fived Sid.

"Three: Hiro, James, Venice, and Kame are Delta. And Four: Riley, Kai, Alex, and Mark are Omega."

"Totally random." Riley scoffed, and Setsuna's Totodile quickly clamped onto his calf, in a "don't-you-dare-insult-and-or-question-my-master" kind of bite. Riley fell to the ground and wrestled with the twenty pound reptile until Setsuna called him off.

"Enough." At once the pokemon released Riley's leg and skipped back to her side.

"Stop messing around, we need to have a plan before they get back." James growled. Setsuna opened a map of the Johto Region and scanned the most obvious areas. Reiji suggested a local map, but Setsuna laughed without emotion and began hacking. Within seconds she was within the government's archives, browsing in the maps that they monitored.

"Let's think like Team Orion. If I were going to hide out somewhere to figure out a prophecy about someone old, where would I be?" Kai tapped her temple with two fingers.

"A MUSEUM!" Riley shouted. When he received multiple stares of discontent his cheeks flushed.

"Or not.."

"The Ruins of Alph! It's completely logical, as a whole bunch of ancient stuff is around there and it attracts tons of archaeologists and stuff to try and figure out what really happened back then!" Reiji half-shouted. Riley nodded and raised his hand, signaling his desire to volunteer Team Omega. He released his black Charizard who stretched its wings before settling beside his master.

"Uh, you forgot about Tropius." Hiro said bluntly, pointing to the leafy beast. It was perched on the blackened bus, and under its weight the metal caved in slightly. Hiro crept close to the fruit pokemon and released Drifloon. Elated at the sight of Hiro, Drifloon inflated with pure joy and began gravitating towards the half-blind boy. Hiro shook his head and pointed to Tropius.

"Hypnosis!" He commanded. Drifloon's yellow eyes began to glow and its body was enveloped in a blue aura. Ripples of psychic energy permeated from the body of the ghost pokemon and streamlined towards Tropius. The large beast never saw it coming, and within seconds was fast asleep. Riley gave Hiro the thumbs up, hoisted Kai over his shoulder, and leapt onto Charizard's back. Alex actually waited for the map from Setsuna, and pulled Mark with her on her Togekiss. They soared through the open air until they were only two spots on the horizon. Team Beta opted to check out the burnt Brass Tower, while Alpha began heading towards the Tin Tower. Team Delta was sent into Goldenrod (under heavy disguise) to keep track of the counselors and to keep ears open for gossip.

Hiro had once again dumped Daisuke's bottle of peroxide onto his hair, and put on a pair of his ray-bans to conceal his eyes. Kame had pulled her hair high into a bun, rubbed a bunch of chesto berry seeds in her hair to dye it a deep purple, and wore a pair of Talia's boots. Venice piled her hair under a baseball cap, put on a pair of eyeglasses, and a hooded jacket. James merely put on a pair of different colored pants and rubbed the flesh of the pecha berry in his hair—giving him a graying appearance. The group decided that the pokemon center would be the best place to start, and if that failed they could at least refresh their pokemon. Inside the pokemon center the air conditioning relieved the campers, dropping the temperature at least ten degrees. Nurse Joy greeted them warmly, healed their pokemon, and sat them down for lunch. Around noon a boy with orange hair walked in accompanied by a large Arcanine. He spotted the disguised campers and froze on the spot. Venice noticed his sudden change of pace and began to stare. She nudged Kame with her toe who in turn elbowed Hiro. He brought his sleeve up to his mouth and began mumbling to it—and to Aaron it looked as if he were wiping his lips. But inside the jacket was the walkie-talkie.

_"Alpha, this is Delta, come in. We've got that redheaded Orion member standing across from us. Suggested course of action?" _

_"Delta, I read. Split up and follow him." _

_"Any luck in the Tin Tower?" _

_"There are tons of those disgusting drawings Berane and Talia recognize. Some of them depict a midpoint between the Tin and Brass Towers, but that's all of the information gathered." _

_"Copy that. Delta out." _

Aaron moved quickly then, walking up to Nurse Joy and starting to chat. He sounded calm and reserved but Hiro could see straight through the façade. He currently was in freak-out mode. Hiro stood and walked out of the door, Jolteon in tow. They positioned themselves on the opposite street corner and waited. Back inside Venice pulled out her cell phone and snapped a picture of Aaron when he wasn't paying attention. James just sat there blankly, being the best version of a senile old man he could be. Aaron gave the table of staring campers another glance before hurrying out of the center. Kame counted to three before releasing Swablu and commanding him to follow Aaron. The parrot-like bird chirped excitedly before darting out the door. James took his prop cane and rose from his chair, shuffling towards the door. Venice guided his arm until they were on the streets, half-rushing towards the Arcanine and his master.

Whenever Aaron cast a glance over his shoulder, the couple slowed until James hobbled along, Venice gripping his forearm in an assistant-like way. The boy could definitely tell something was up—but just what he did not know.

XXX

"This place is freaky, mate." Sid whispered, crouching below a charred beam to enter the tower. Inside the multiple levels had been seared to a blackened crisp. A musty, old-campfire smell filled the heads of the campers, and a haunting chill seemed to permeate among the ashes.

Turning down a corridor, Magden pulled back a shoji screen and peered into the room. Inside were some dilapidated pokeballs, some candy wrappers, and a lot of splintered wood. The other rooms down the hall were similar—littered with graffiti and trash.

"This place must've been gorgeous." Johnny sighed, rubbing a tarnished pillar. The dim brass began to shine a bit—but nothing close to the brilliance it once have must paraded. The team ascended to the top of the tower, stepping over fragmented staircases and maneuvering around demolished wreckage. At the top was an ash-covered shrine.

"Lugia's perch!" AC exclaimed. A long-term fan of the legendary pokemon, AC went to rub some of the filth from Lugia's statue. When he rubbed the illegible plaque a blinding light shot up from the crown of Lugia's head. It beamed through a perfectly positioned hole in the roof and towards the sky. After a few seconds of radiance a series of low vibrations began to emanate from the shrine. It began to shake the old tower—and the group could hear the damaged wood creak and groan under the quakes. Johnny fumbled in his pocket for two objects—Tyrogue's pokeball and the walkie talkie. He released the tiny fighting pokemon and frantically called Setsuna.

_"Alpha, this is Beta! Help! The bloody tower is going to fall!" _

_"Beta, I read, hold on tight. What happened?" _

_"AC cleaned this mussed up statue o' Lugia, and afterwards it started shinin' and shakin', and now the whole buildin's gonna collapse!" _

_"I'm sending Reiji's Zubat! Alpha out!" _

_"WAIT! WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL IS A ZUBAT GOIN TO DO—"_

The transmission was cut and Johnny screamed in exasperation.

Tyrogue frantically flitted from each remaining beam—attempting to hold it up with his hands. The trainers released the rest of their pokemon to assist them.

The roof tiles from outside began raining on the trainers, shattering on the bamboo floors and cluttering any path to safety. A support beam cracked and was hurtling towards Magden, who was currently busy trying to hold up another pillar. AC dove for her and rolled, protecting her body beneath his. His face was buried in her hair and his arms gripped around her midsection tightly—he was too afraid to let go. The tower swayed as dramatically and exaggerated as a leaf in the wind, and the trainers' only hope was a Zubat that was flying from about five miles away.

Joy.

XXX

Hiro was walking on the upper balcony of an outdoor mall—keeping an aerial tab on the Orion boy. He walked into a few pokemon convenience stores, picked up a new brush for his Arcanine and some tampons (for whom Hiro did not dare wonder or ask) and continued with a paranoid pace down the mall. About ten stores in he realized he was being followed—and broke into a run. He leapt on his Arcanine's back and sped off into the crowds. Hiro released Charizard and followed in hot pursuit. Although the boy's Arcanine was incredibly fast—an aerial advantage could not be denied. Charizard did not have to avoid the masses of people in the streets, making keeping up with them easy. Hiro followed him to the outskirts of town and quickly changed direction to match the villain.

_"Alpha, come in! I'm following the fire crotch—he's headed towards Ecruteak City!"_

_"Perfect! We're on the West and East sides of Ecruteak in the Towers. Don't lose him." _

_"Got it. Delta out." _

XXX

"Riley! Look at this!" Kai screamed. She had fallen down a trapdoor and into a secret room. Beneath cracked rock and a mountain of dust was an old stone slab. There were odd symbols on it—but it was small enough for two people to carry. Kai and Riley yanked the tablet from the rubble and slid it up into the main hallway of the ruins.

"Should we send a picture to Setsuna?" Alex suggested, pulling out her phone. After snapping a large enough picture to send to her—a few seconds later she got a transmission from the talkie.

_"Alex, do you have any idea what you've found?"_

_"No, this was in a secret room in the Ruins." _

_"This is part of an ancient prophecy! My laptop can translate most of the characters—but a lot is missing. I'm sending it via text message. Alpha out." _

After a few minutes of waiting Alex's phone flashed—indicating a message had been received. When she opened it she passed it around the group in silence.

"Beware - -i- -a- Shi-s -rth -r-m the Dark

- envelo-s - -n - S-a-ows,

W-hin the fol-s of -me 'tw-s lock-,

-nd Sp-e of -ich 'twas b-ed.

-re not -eas- t-is -g-ty B-st,

-os- hunger kn-ws no b-u-s.

D-re n-t destr-y -his Beast of Drea-,

Le-t the E-rth sha-l cr-mbl-."

Kai stared at the phone for a few moments before handing the phone back to Alex. Some of the words were obvious—but the general tone of the tablet was ominous.

This summer was beginning to suck.

XXX

**I AM SO SORRY FOR THIS HORRIBLE CHAPTER.**

**I want to cry, my brain is so fried that I've just written whatever falls out of it.**

**So do not think less of me please D: **

**Just have no mercy in your reviews please. D: **


	17. The Last Breath is the Worst

**Hey everyone. I'm pretty much in a terrible mood right now, so I'm kinda not feeling generous when it comes to sparing lives. Going through some **_**tough **_**crap will do that to you. So sorry for my dark mood but just know your reviews and feedback and the fact you guys read this makes me really happy :D so thanks for the undying support.**

**PS Go check out the C.C. Forum! Ididntkillthequeen (The creator of Sid & Johnny) suggested it and I thought it would be a great idea! **

.net/myforums/moscowmoocow/1658899

**Here you go, and [hopefully] enjoy. **

XXX

"What should we do with them, Bellatrix?" Betelgeuse asked, gesturing to the two crumpled forms on the floor of the conference room. Bound in handcuffs and chain, and weakened by lack of food and water, the two trainers could only watch lamely. Bellatrix shrugged and pulled a long knife from the pocket of her black coat. The blade was rusted and jagged, indicative of neglect or overuse. By the look on her face, Tyler guessed it was overuse. She sauntered over to Jessica, who could only watch in horror as Bellatrix tangled her fingers in the young ranger's long hair. Tyler cursed and shouted and struggled to reach Jessica—but a swift kick in the gut from Rigel silenced him. Bellatrix's knife ran along Jessica's hairline and began sawing off the long curly hair. The serrated edges of the blade pulled the delicate hair taught and caused Jessica to scream every now and then. When she was finished Bellatrix scooped up all of the hair, waved it in the young girl's face tauntingly, and threw it into the hearth. The smell of burning locks was enough to gag anyone, but the smell did not seem to affect anyone but Tyler and Jessica. Hot tears ran down her face and she turned away from Tyler, unable to face him without a full head of hair.

"Jess, it's okay. You're beautiful with or without hair." He whispered, trying to inch towards his shackled friend. Unfortunately Rigel heard this little snippet and dragged Tyler away from her, hoisting the teenager's body onto the marble table. Zara the Zangoose growled from her perch above the fray—she sensed the kill was near. Bellatrix held the knife high above her head and drove the dagger down, only to have her arm caught by Betelgeuse.

"No, Bellatrix. We are saving them, remember?" She scowled at the thought of not being able to complete her sick deed and sheathed the blade. Jessica let out a long, relieved sigh from the floor.

Bellatrix pivoted again and punched Tyler in the gut, compressing the air from his lungs and forcing a cry from his lips. Jessica screamed and cursed at the woman, thrashing on the floor to get at her ankles. Bellatrix danced around the constricted prisoner, cackling wildly. Jessica's teeth clamped onto the calf of Bellatrix and the woman stopped her taunt to kick Jessica in the temple. Her foot connected with the young ranger's head and instantly her entire body went slack. Blood slowly began to run from Jessica's mouth and pooled on the marble floor, her pearly white teeth stained red from biting her tongue. Her eyelids fluttered rapidly for a few moments before she lost consciousness.

XXX

"GOD DAMMIT, SID! GET OUTTA THERE!" Johnny roared, snatching up his friend's Smoochum in his arms and avoiding a crashing heap of stone and framework. Sid was currently trying to pry himself free from the wreckage, but one of his legs was pinned beneath a large stone. Sid returned Smoochum to her pokeball and pulled away from the floor as hard as he could. He screamed and shrieked and moaned but after three long tugs his mangled leg was unearthed from the disaster. It bent horribly and raised purple and festering in more than one place. Magden leapt over to the rather wiry Brit and heaved him over her shoulder—making a dash for the stairs (or what was left of them.) Just then a high pitched shrieking called from the hole in the roof—Reiji's Zubat had arrived. The pokemon swooped in and was as useless as Johnny had expected, doing nothing but flitting up to the ceiling and back in their faces.

"Maybe it's trying to tell us something!" AC shouted. The tower swayed threateningly, almost reminding them that they needed to evacuate the building before they were all crushed. Magden set Sid down and leapt onto the Lugia statue, grappled with an intact beam, and launched herself onto the roof. The Zubat chirped once—indicating the correctness of Magden's choice. She reached for Sid and Johnny hoisted the body of his friend up to the girl, who tugged him through the hole and out to the roof.

XXX

The Alpha Team stood in the Tin Tower, surveying the Ho-oh shrine located in the top tier. Talia circled the shrine a few times, running her slender fingers along the grooves in the legendary bird's wings. Berane stared out the window at the barely visible Brass Tower, silently hoping the others would make it through. Reiji was over Setsuna's shoulder, staring at the laptop's screen. The concern on Setsuna's face was not obvious whatsoever, but a practiced eye such as Reiji's realized his friend's worry. He ran his fingers through her long silver hair slowly in an effort to comfort her. Talia reached on her tiptoes to touch the head of the Ho-oh, but her height prevented her from doing so. Berane walked over, placed his hands on her hips and raised her easily. Her curly blonde hair tickled his face slightly, and the smell of strawberries was strong in his nose. But Berane enjoyed the scent and the proximity. Once Talia touched the head of the Ho-oh a sound began to resonate throughout the walls. It was low at first, but then grew in frequency. It was a trilling noise that echoed in the minds of team Alpha, almost bell-like in tone. The tower swayed slowly, but not as threateningly as the Brass Tower was. Berane teetered and almost fell with Talia in his hands, but he drew the girl close and regained his balance. Reiji crouched and touched the silver-colored floor, lowering his center of gravity to avoid a fall. A strange vibration began to rock the entire building, and after it stopped shaking small objects began to float. Setsuna's laptop, the cosmetics kit in Talia's bag, and the pokeballs in Berane's pocket now hung suspended in midair. The trainers began floating as well, and Reiji quickly radioed Team Beta.

_"AC, Come in! Something strange is happening over here!" _

_"Yeah, you're telling me! Everything is floating!"_

_"Then you should be able to get to the ground safely!" _

There was a long pause, and then a brief shout of realization at the simplicity of the suggestion.

_"Beta out!" _

Sid picked up a shattered tile and threw it off the roof. It only flew a few yards until it slowed to a stop. Magden rose, took a step towards the edge, and the building collapsed. Tile, clay, and bamboo shattered and exploded in a brilliant flash of light. The trainers were blasted away from the old tower and suspended in a cloud of debris that clung to their forms and forced their way into their lungs. The odd gravity that kept them afloat began pulling on the trainers, until they felt the weightlessness begin to lessen. Substantiality settled in their feet and their stomachs, and the group began to fall. Plummeting eight stories towards the ground, the group was momentarily distracted from their doom by a giant pokemon. Its body was colossal, colored white with multiple blue spines protruding from its back. Its great wings folded along its side, positioning to dive beneath the trainers. It caught them on its back and flew them the remaining distance to the ground.

"A-a-a Lu-u-u-g-g-ia! _In real life_!" AC shouted, and instantly fell to his knees in awe. The Lugia perched itself on the rubble which was its shrine and addressed the boy.

"_Were you the one to destroy my shrine?" _It asked.

"I did touch your statue, but I would never do anything to destroy the tower." Lugia seemed to be judging him, and found the trainer sincere. The great pokemon brushed its massive wing over AC's face—and wherever it touched strange markings began to appear.

"_In your future there is great peril. For all of you. A force unlike any this earth has seen will be unleashed. And when that time of tragedy dawns upon us, do not hesitate to summon me. You have a strong heart and a pure spirit, young trainer. Do not let these qualities leave you, and do not let those you love fall victim to the evil that lurks within every shadow of this dark earth._" The Lugia gestured to Magden and she blushed slightly, walking forward to take AC's hand. With those words of encouragement and a promise to keep, the Lugia melted away with a flash of white light.

XXX

The pursuit was hot, and the pursuit seemed endless. Hiro's Charizard tore the skies apart with every beat of his leather wings, and the earth was upturned from the grabbing claws of Aaron's Arcanine. In the open plains of the Johto region it might have looked as if they were racing. But this was no friendly competition.

Reaching the gravesite of the great hunter Orion was the final destination of the two trainers, and the closer they got to the tomb the more uneasy Hiro began to feel. His stomach churned menacingly and every instinct screamed to go back. But he suppressed these presentiments and pressed on.

Meanwhile, Kame was on the back of her Swablu, leading the way for James and Venice, who were seated on Gallah, Venice's Rapidash. The couple rode bareback through the flatlands of Johto, discarding their disguises as they went. They had used a tracker from the Mt. Moon excursion to mark Hiro, and finding his location was relatively painless. Kame glanced at the coordinates on the GPS and noticed the pair had stopped exactly at the midpoint between the Tin and Brass Towers.

XXX

"We've gotta make it back to the others!" Johnny cried, dragging Sid by the shirt in the direction of the Tin Tower. Magden rolled her eyes and separated the two.

"Dusknoir can take Sid, everyone else, let's get running."

Releasing their respective pokemon, Team Beta was in transit.

XXX

"_Team Omega, come in_!" Setsuna radioed Riley and waited for a reply.

"_Alpha, we read. We're heading to your location now."_

"_Don't bother, we're migrating to a midpoint between the Tin and Brass Towers. It's closer and on the way. I'll send you the coordinates_." With those instructions Setsuna cut the transmission and closed her laptop.

"Let's go."

XXX

"You've gotta be shitting me!" Tarkov roared, kicking around empty tents and discarded trash. The campsite was a ghost town, and the delinquents that were at the grounds acted as if they knew nothing. Even after extensive military interrogation, none of the campers would budge.

"I don't know what you're talking about, you crazy old man." Nick spat, giving the ex-general a wicked grin. This was the point where Hunter intervened. She sat Nick down in a chair and bent over until her green eyes were centimeters from his.

"I want you to tell me everything you know," She began, "Or there will be some serious repercussions." Teddiursa cracked its knuckles behind her and growled low in its throat. Although Nick realized her threats were probably not empty, he stood his ground.

Reina Yuki was the same. Selling out Hiro (who had always been an object of her affection) was not something that was "in her dictionary," and she didn't give in to Hunter's violent threats. Daisuke, like Nick, had no conscience and nerves of steel, so naturally no information was squeezed from him. But Emily turned out to be the weak link in the chain. After twenty seconds of lecturing and yelling the rule-following girl began crying, and information tumbled from her lips in defeat. Crying out in rage Hunter woke Tropius from its rest, leapt on its back, and took off towards Ecruteak. Cameron and Yanmega followed suit, borrowing the Pidgeot Hiro had captured in the forest contest. The large bird kicked off from the ground and launched the counselor into the hot summer sky. Tarkov, having no flying pokemon, stood watch while Vick and Grant soared after their colleagues.

"Good one, Emily. You've officially proven you're worthless." Nick snarled, chucking his backpack on the forest floor. Nothing pissed him off more than weakness, and Emily's recent display of failure had only heightened his blood pressure to the point of no return. Emily glanced to Daisuke in hopes for his defense, but he shook his head and stared at the ground. The brunette slunk down where she sat and began crying silently. Tarkov walked past the group and released his entire team—the Nido-royalty had circled the four trainers, while Rhyhorn and Electabuzz flanked the gaps between them. Machamp and Golem circled the perimeters.

"Now try and get out, delinquents." His smile was crooked and a bit crazed.

"Uh, obviously we weren't ever trying to get out. Otherwise we wouldn't have been here waiting for you in the first place." Daisuke retorted, and Nick slipped him a high-five.

"_SPECTRA! NO MERRIMENT! NAKAMURA! DON'T BE AN ASSHOLE. DROP AND GIVE ME SIXTY_!"

With a rather anarchist set of groans the boys got into position and started.

XXX

Vick and Cameron made excellent time catching up with Hunter. Their co-worker and Tropius were streaming ahead, insistent on making it in time to her campers. The two men knew that Hunter never wanted anything bad to happen to anyone she was responsible for. She loved every camper, no matter how rude or inconsiderate, because having them was close to having real children, which Hunter knew was never a possibility for her. These children needed all the love she could give, because she could never have the chance to give that love to her one of her own. Hunter needed these kids more than they would ever know, and she knew that they needed her as well. The counselor pressed on and dove down when she saw Hiro battling the redhead from Team Orion. They were in a small graveyard, fighting around a large statue of a cloaked man. Hiro chose to fight from the air, commanding Jolteon from his Charizard's back.

"Volt Tackle!" Jolteon launched himself toward the Arcanine with surprising speed, its fur supercharged with over a thousand volts of electricity. When Jolteon landed the hit his pointed fur stuck in the tough skin of Grim, channeling the thunderous attack straight into his nervous system. Grim temporarily fell to his knees but rolled out of the way of a vicious bite. He swiped at Jolteon with a large paw and scratched the eyes of the electric pokemon. The "Legendary Pokemon" followed through with a flamethrower that short circuited Hiro's companion. Electric attacks took a lot of effort, as the circuitry throughout the tiny dog's body was now scorched and needed to heal. Hiro pulled a Burn Heal from his pocket, swooped down from the air and sprayed it on Jolteon. The purplish mist clung to the charred flesh of the Lightning Pokemon and began to foam. After dodging a few more fire-based attacks the static electricity began crackling along his fur. He was back in the game.

XXX

"Riley! Down there!" Kai shouted, gripping the midsection of the tall boy as his Charizard sliced downward toward the ground. The wind whipped through her short black hair and made her stomach churn, but she held tight and dared not to breathe. Alex was faring fine in the high altitudes with Togekiss, but Mark didn't look like a big heights fan, either. His face was tinged green and he clutched Togekiss' back like it was his lifeline. The group fell in line with Hunter, Cameron, and Vick. They had perched on the roof of a large tomb, surveying the battle between Hiro and Aaron. It was now a battle of stamina, a battle lasting more than ten minutes was definitely an even match. Each pokemon was growing more aggressive and less responsive, losing themselves in the fight. Every bristle of fur on Jolteon's body was on end, almost dripping with the toxins running through his veins. Grim's mouth was almost constantly aflame, and smoldering embers peppered the reddish coat in large quantities.

"Thunder!"

"Fire Blast!"

The attacks met in midair and created an explosion of heat and static electricity, shooting dangerously close to the spectators. The trainers had to shield their eyes from the light. Jolteon snarled and leapt through the inferno to sink its jaws into Grim's beefy throat. The smaller dog tore away a chunk of flesh and attacked the open wound with a toxic bite. Grim rolled and tried to crush Jolteon's spine under his weight, but Jolteon was too fast. He stunned the beast with a Thunder Wave, unprompted, and continued his assault on Grim's neck. He was shaken off and Grim stomped on Jolteon's soft underbelly. The Lightning pokemon coughed up blood and spat it in the eyes of the Arcanine. Temporarily distracted, Jolteon shocked the Arcanine over and over until the beast dropped. Grim had fainted with blood flowing freely from his neck. Jolteon scratched dirt over the unconscious pokemon and growled at Aaron, challenging him. The trainer slowly moved to Grim and called him into his pokeball.

"Where are they?" Hiro shouted, landing in Aaron's path out of the graveyard. The boy gave a wicked smile, revealing his sharp canines. The sight shocked Hiro but he didn't show it. He ran a hand through his spiked hair before answering.

"Your little campers? It's too late now, pretty boy. They're long gone." His grin was so cruel it made the hair on Hiro's neck stand on end. He shook off the feeling and leapt at Aaron, intent on seriously injuring the ginger. He wound up and swung at Aaron's golden eyes, and when his fist connected with his face he doubled over, clutching his eye. Hiro kicked him down and leapt on his back, pummeling the base of his neck with his fists. Aaron flipped Hiro over and punched Hiro in his left eye, and brought all of his attacks from that side. Black and blue bruises blossomed like violets on the faces of the two boys, and Aaron was forced to tap out when Hiro had twisted his arm back and wrapped his knees around Aaron's neck. Cameron intervened then, rambling about being an eagle scout and knowing "every knot known to Arceus" and successfully hog tied the delinquent.

"You better let me out before ish gets cannibal!" He snarled, biting Vick's finger when he came too close. Vick, abandoning all counseling morals, aimed a swift kick to the boys jaw.

"Shut up, you little prick."

"Hah, who's got the last laugh now, fire crotch?" Hiro jeered. Aaron struggled in his bonds and screamed a bunch of words in an odd language. The dialect was guttural, yet eloquent, like a mixture of harsh Slavic languages with Latin. The ground began to shake and soon the statue of the cloaked man began to sink, until a rather crude passageway opened. From the confines of the ground rose a woman with billowing dark hair, and a man with tan skin and golden eyes. A Zangoose padded by his side, and at the sight of the Zangoose Kame fell into a full panic-attack. This was the _same _Zangoose that had gouged her eye out so many years ago. Her eye stung when the beast saw her.

_She had wandered away from her Aunt Miki one spring morning to follow a Weedle that had caught her interest. She crouched in the bushes and searched for hours, losing track of time. Before the young Kame knew it the sun had began to drop, and she was _very _lost. At age four she had no sense of direction or how to find home again, she only knew what interested her and that she wanted to follow it. Starting to panic, Kame plopped onto the forest floor and began to cry. Hot tears spilled from her icy blue eyes and began dampening her tawny curls. When her wailing increased in volume it began to attract a rogue pack of Zangoose. The small herd circled the screaming toddler and slowly inched closer. When the girl opened her eyes she stopped shrieking immediately. Even her undeveloped instincts warned her to keep quiet. One Zangoose kept her silent in particular, the largest and most fearsome. Her eyes were a gleaming yellow, differentiating from the perfunctory pink the others' eyes were. They glowed with a harrowing ferocity that almost stopped the heart of young Kame. Instead of red markings on its face, chest, and paws, this Zangoose had black and red markings. When Kame stared into her eyes the Zangoose sprung, clawing at the child's face until blood was gushing out of the girls' eye. Her tortured shrieks pierced the spring evening and a Vulpix came to her rescue, staving off the Zangoose and defending Kame until morning when Miki finally came. _

Seeing this Zangoose again took Kame back to that night, to that dark place she kept hidden from the majority of the world. Zara spotted Kame and licked its fanged jaws.

"Ah, I see you're all following the local leash laws." The man said, nudging the dog-like Aaron with his foot. At this comment Aaron growled, only solidifying his statement.

"Effing untie me already!" He shouted. The man snapped his fingers and Sari Iralla came up through the tunnel with a pocketknife. She waved a carefree hand, smiled, and cut his bonds. Aaron gave Sari a sultry look that was most likely inappropriate and stood next to her.

"I knew that man wasn't your father!" Hunter growled, releasing Teddiursa and dropping into a defensive stance.

"Please, Ms. Larsen, do not be alarmed. Sari is in an environment where she will become successful now. She is in better hands."

Okay, no one ever told Hunter how to care for her "children." Ever. It was tantamount to provoking an Ursaring, or sticking your hand in a tank of wild Carvanha. It was something that just wasn't done. A blue vein rose on Hunter's forehead and began to pulse angrily. She strode straight up to Betelgeuse's face and whispered:

"No one ever tells me that someone else's care is better than mine. No matter how much I jack up that kid, no one can take away what I've done for them!" Tears filled her eyes and Teddiursa began snarling at its master's discontent. Betelgeuse stepped backward with his hands raised, most likely a gesture of false submission, but Hunter took it anyway. Bellatrix looked as if she was suppressing a fit of laughter, and Sari just looked awkwardly into the distance. She forced the guilt out of her heart and replaced it with loathing.

"Fine, if you're that compassionate about your children and your care for them, then why don't you take a look at your handiwork?" He chuckled darkly and snapped his fingers once more. The blonde woman who was battling with the counselors, Mintaka, stepped into the sun, dragging two large bags behind her. One was bloodstained and dripping while the other looked fairly tattered.

"May I present the product of your nurturing, my fair, infertile adversary!" Betelgeuse boomed, loosening the drawstrings of the bag. To everyone's complete horror Jessica and Tyler tumbled out of the burlap and onto the waxy grass of the graveyard. Jessica's gorgeous curls had been cut short against her head, and she was bleeding from the mouth profusely. Tyler was shirtless, with many cuts and raised gashes, as if he had been whipped. His stomach had two large bruises on it, and it looked oddly swollen in some areas. Hunter howled in anger and whipped out a knife from the confines of her jacket. Bellatrix, excited by the blade and a chance to use her own, unsheathed her weapon and charged Hunter. Hunter sidestepped and plunged the blade into Bellatrix's back, slamming the handle of the knife with her open palm. Hunter knew just where to strike, and had successfully punctured Bellatrix's right lung. Gasping for air, the dark haired woman fell on the remaining inches of the handle and began drowning in blood. She stomped on her mouth and spat in her face.

"DON'T YOU EVER FCUK WITH ME, YOU SICK SON OF A BITCH." She shouted, advancing on Betelgeuse, who was currently too shocked to speak. Bellatrix laid cold and dead on the mossy earth. Betelgeuse frowned at his crumpled crony and moved to the bags where Jessica and Tyler were. He pulled Jessica out by her purple shirt and pulled her lips apart with his fingers. A river of blood spilled where it had been pooling between her pearly teeth.

"A specimen so beautiful. It is a shame she is so close to death." He sighed. As if responding to his voice Jessica coughed feebly. Her fingers twitched and seemed to be reaching for Tyler.

"Unfortunately for her friend, it is far too late to save him. His wounds are too great to ever be repaired. You can tell mostly by swelling of his liver and stomach. He'll be gone in minutes. Might as well end it now?" He pulled a dagger from a scabbard on his belt and slit Tyler's throat. A torrent of crimson stained the white shirt he was wearing and blackened the earth around it. Jessica's brown eyes grew wide but she was too weak to scream. Her only actions were to cry silently. Leaving the members of Camp Catchem'all shocked and appalled, he pulled a pokeball from his belt. From its depths sprung a Dragonite, who scooped up the body of Tyler Mason and flew into the sunset. Hiro leapt onto his Charizard and kicked into the sky, followed by Alex and Togekiss.

"It's no use, children!" Betelgeuse called, "Draira is gone!"

The two trainers came back down from the sky, and Alex ran into Mark's arms. He locked her in his arms and began kissing her sweet smelling hair. The entire group was struck with a mixture of shock and agony.

"The first sacrifice has dawned upon us, fellow trainers." Betelgeuse crooned. Jessica coughed once more and it was as if the air had been sucked from her lungs. Jessica Cooper took her last breath with the image of Tyler in her thoughts. The image of her first love, whose throat was slit before her eyes.

It was a sad image.

XXX

**GEDSAFJDSFJODJFDEKFEDFEWKFES**

**Let's see if I can transition back into normal camp life. **

**Sorrry guys. **

**3, Katie **


	18. The Road to Recovery

**Guys! Check out the forum if you haven't already! And might I say thanks for all the reviews, and hopefully the story can transition back to normalcy soon. Thank you ImaginationDomination for being such a champ about Jessica and Tyler dying. Its tough having your creations pass away…**

**Anyways, CHECK OUT THIS THREAD. James and Venice lovers, add your opinion**

**http : / forum. fanfiction. Net / topic / 71870 / 23439267 / 1 / (remove the spaces) **

**So here we go. **

XXX

_Recovery. _

The word is so simple, yet, why is it so difficult to grasp? The devastating deaths of Jessica and Tyler had ripped a hole right through the hearts of the C.C. Family. They all crowded around Jessica's battered corpse, and Hunter took the task of gently brushing the dirt and dried blood from Jessica's innocent face. Even in death she looked inquisitive, brave, and full of life. Inside the burlap sack where she was kept was a metal case, and inside this case were her pokeballs and backpack. Hunter released the pokemon, who quickly circled the body of their master. Many were crying, and in particular Jessica's Cubone, who had already lost one mother, now had lost another. Fat tears rolled from the eyes of the lonely pokemon. They were all freed now. After they had composed themselves Jessica's pokemon slunk into the surrounding forest, out of the graveyard and into their new lives.

"What are we supposed to tell their families?" Vick sighed. Hunter shrugged and repositioned Jessica so she was flat on her back with her hands folded over her chest.

"I guess we should call her parents, and call Officer Jenny as well. But now that we're crowding around her with no trace of evidence supporting her murder, what do we tell the police?" Cameron pointed out. Setsuna walked forward and opened her laptop, clicking a few buttons and replaying the entire day's events, from the shaking of the Tin Tower to the last few goodbyes of the late trainer's companions.

"Here's all the evidence we'll ever need." She said emotionlessly. Hunter nodded curtly and opened her cell phone.

"I'll call Mr. and Mrs. Cooper. Vick, call Ecruteak's Officer Jenny."

XXX

_One week later _

Although the double tragedy of the two trainers' deaths was still in the minds of the campers, they had continued their stay in the heart of the Ilex Forest. The six-person tents had been reconstructed, the trash picked up, Tarkov appeased, and the general mood of the camp was strenuous yet improving. Sid had been rushed to the Goldenrod City General Hospital's emergency room for his broken leg, which had been, by request, put into a black cast. Johnny took the liberty of spray painting his crutches black and attaching multiple metal spikes to the frames. Getting around the forest was a bit easier for the punker now that he was mobilized with tricked out crutches. Magden and AC, whose affections had been thrown into relief courtesy of the Lugia, now spent a lot of time together. Jessica and Magden were very close, and Magden sought consolation in her newly-marked friend. When the Lugia had brushed its wings along the sharp lines of his cheeks, the Lugia's feathers left behind glimmering markings. Shaded silver and blue, a series of sweeping slashes sliced over his eyes and his cheekbones, weaving around his brows to disappear into his hairline. They gave AC a more serious look, one less determined to be competitive and more determined to help those in need. Talia's positive-yet-timid outlook on life was completely sobered by the tragedies of the previous week, and she now looked upon life with a sharper gaze. She no longer wanted to be dainty and helpless. Berane was near her side constantly, reluctant to let danger within six feet of Talia. Losing her would only add to the pain, although Berane never truly experienced attachment with anyone else other than Talia. The people most unaffected were the newcomers: Nick, Reina, Reiji, Setsuna, Sid, and Johnny. They never formally met Tyler and Jessica, but they were aware of the devastating tragedy and did their best to comfort the campers in need. The counselors stayed strong throughout the services of Jessica Cooper and Tyler Mason, and not one tear was shed from any of them. They needed to be strong for their campers.

Ever since the deaths of the two Catchem'all campers, a thick cloud cover had blanketed the sky. It obscured the summer sun's warmth and made an attractive home for bone chilling breezes.

One night the rain and wind was so bad that the tents were becoming loose. It took about six or seven stakes hammered into each ring in order to keep the sleeping quarters anchored. Inside Tent A were Hiro, Riley, James, Kame, Kai, and Venice. Kai combated the cold by zipping her sleeping bag over her face and rolling into a ball beneath a small mountain of blankets. Hiro, a huge fan of the cold, slept normally in boxers with a fleece blanket. Riley, on the other hand, detested the frigid temperatures. His body was constructed for heat, the sun, and warmth in general, so he stacked layer upon layer of sweatshirts and blankets until he was close to sweating. Kame did the same. And despite the comfort given by multiple layers of fleece, Kame Takeshi was wide awake. For some reason, (maybe it was the fact that she was situated between James and Hiro) she couldn't fall asleep. She poked her fingers through a small opening in her blankets and let her eyes adjust to the tent's lighting. (which was close to none) She could make out the sharp contours of Hiro's face, his closed eyelids, and how his smirk was splayed across his lips even in sleep. Before she could realize what she was doing, her arm had reached out of the cocoon-like bed she had constructed to touch Hiro's cheek. His skin was still cold, and that fact alone made Kame feel better. Like some things would never change. At her warm contact Hiro's eyes fluttered open, and once he realized what had happened his smirk grew in intensity.

"Can't sleep, Kame?" He whispered. Even in the darkness his blind eye was vibrant. She shook her hand and withdrew her hand, blushing slightly.

"I don't know what's keeping me awake." She replied.

Hiro sat up and reached across Jolteon for a pair of black-rimmed glasses.

"You wear glasses?" She asked, incredulous.

"Sweetheart, you don't really think I have perfect vision with this thing." He pointed to his useless eye. Kame shrugged innocently.

"I can see fine out of my left."

"By not using my left eye, the right works harder to keep up. I'm always working harder…" He sighed, slipping the lenses on his nose. At that point Kame decided that anything Hiro put on would look good. It was just a quality he had. He could've put on a bra and parachute pants and girls would be drooling over him. She wriggled free from the mess of blankets to push the glasses up until they rested properly on the bridge of his nose. He licked her finger in the process, instigating a yelp of surprise.

"Hiro!" She withdrew her hand once more.

"You taste good, Kame." He giggled, pushing her back in the pile of blankets. She landed with an 'oomph'. She sat back up, adjusted the bandage on her eye, and leapt for Hiro. She tackled him into the foam mattress he was laying on and sat on his chest. Instead of resisting Hiro let her perch upon his torso.

"Having fun up there?" He asked.

"The view's nice." Kame winked. Her words choked in her throat. She had no idea where this attitude was coming from, and frankly it was too flirty for her own taste.

Hiro gasped and put his hands over his pectorals.

"Stop peeking!"

Kame giggled and dismounted the half blind boy. While she was in motion Hiro rolled over, knocking out one of her legs and forcing her to fall next to him. She turned topside and snuggled next to Hiro.

"Oh, funny how that worked out perfectly." Kame said sarcastically. Hiro propped himself up on one elbow and looked down at Kame.

"You need sleep, Tortoise." He smiled at her and Kame felt the familiar sensation of stampeding elephants in her stomach. Like butterflies, yes, but ultimately worse. The sensation intensified when Hiro took his long fingers and brushed the hair from her blue eyes. He then reached for her bandage and hesitated, as if waiting for permission to proceed. Kame reached up and removed the patch over her eye. The sight of her split iris calmed Hiro significantly, and he stared into it as if it were the last thing he'd ever see.

She reached for Hiro's face, running her hands along his neck and jaw line, feeling every curve his features held. He exhaled at her touch and bent down to her eye level.

"Goodnight, Tortoise. You'll freeze if you stay with me." He winked and brushed his lips over her forehead. Kame, utterly dazed, stumbled over Hiro to her cocoon. There was _no way_ she was sleeping now.

XXX

The storm had cleared by morning, although it wasn't too noticeable due to the constant darkness cast by the canopy. Tarkov had already fired up the three skillets over a roaring fire, cooking red eggs and a platter of bacon. Hunter and Teddiursa chopped fruit like fiends, and Cameron and Vick went about place settings. The picnic tables had been cleared to seat twenty-four now. While the ex-general flipped a half-pack of bacon with one swipe, he picked up his megaphone with the other hand.

_"AH HA. THOUGHT YOU'D ESCAPE THE WAKE UP CALLS, DID WE? LET'S GET MOVING!" _

Slowly the campers began to rise, emerging from dripping wet tents with sleep-ridden eyes and bed head. The only person who looked put together was Setsuna, whose Silver hair was piled uncharacteristically upon her head. She had on a white v-neck shirt and a pair of black sweatpants, rolled twice at the elastic. On her feet was a pair of Torchic slippers. The entire effect was sexy, to say the least, and Reiji couldn't stop staring at the slight indent of her exposed hip. Whenever her arm moved it was revealed, and Reiji wanted nothing more than to touch it.

"What are you looking at?" She asked, tugging the hem of her shirt down with her fingers.

"There was grass on your shirt!" Reiji stammered, reaching for her tee and pulling away imaginary blades from her side, brushing the area of her hip in the process. Setsuna, clearly not convinced, rolled her eyes and sat at the end of the table. Reiji wiped nervous sweat from his brow and sat himself next to James and Hiro. Hiro had left his hair down and strapped on a black bandana, which matched his black-rimmed glasses flawlessly. James' brown hair was messy and stuck up on one side, but he did nothing to fix it. He was too focused on Venice, sneaking sideways glances at the dark-haired girl whenever she looked the other way. She was currently situated beside Nick, who had a lock of her hair wound around his finger. This gesture boiled James' blood, and the look on his face was enough to get Hiro to stop eating.

"Ignore her." He advised, returning to pick at his bacon.

"_Ignore her_?" James hissed, incredulous. Hiro nodded and stuffed a forkful of eggs in his mouth.

"She's only doing this to make you jealous, and it's working. Don't give her the satisfaction."

"But what about the new kid?"

"If he had half the game I had, I'd be worried." Hiro laughed. James looked relieved and averted his eyes from Venice's direction for the rest of breakfast.

XXX

"Okay everyone! Dress warm and dress smart! We're going for a hike!" Cameron yelled, pulling the straps on his backpack taut. Yanmega chirped in glee and circled his head a few times. The campers retreated into the tents and came out prepared for whatever Cameron had in store. (which could be anything, in his case.) Kame had come down with a fever of sorts, and opted to stay behind with Hunter for today's escapade. Her Vulpix stayed by her side diligently, only moving to eat or use the bathroom.

Cameron led the group deeper into Ilex forest and to a grove of enormous eucalyptus trees. Their pale, mottled trunks twisted skyward, and Cameron ordered the campers to begin scaling.

"Up to the top! Now!" He attacked the nearest eucalyptus with gloved hands and climbing boots, grappling the bark with a practiced grasp.

Many of the campers were awkward, inexperienced, and or falling out of the trees. Nick "helped" Venice by keeping a hand on her hindside and pushing her to the lowest branch—and when James noticed Hiro and Riley had to restrain him.

"Relax, man!" Riley hissed.

"He's not worth it!"

James rolled his eyes and pulled himself up to the main branching system. Hiro, guided by Jolteon, was the last to reach the upper canopy of the forest. The rendezvous point was about forty feet off of the ground, in an entanglement of branches, leaves, and vines that wove a crude net. The camp was one level below the top layer of the canopy, and small beams of sunlight shone more frequently than on the ground floor. Once the groups were seated in the comfortable crevices the vines and branches created, Cameron began his lesson.

"Does anyone know who the guardian of this forest is?" He asked. A few moments of silence passed before he answered his own question.

"There are potentially two guardians, the first and primary being Celebi, and the other is Suicune, who is less formally called—"

"The North Wind!" Kai chirped. On a number of occasions Kai had encountered Suicune, yet this information would never be revealed to anyone.

"Correct! Here's your reward!" Cameron tossed her a brown paper bag filled with candy.

"Now, returning to these guardians, they are honored by a secret hidden shrine in the exact center of the forest…"

XXX

"So what you're telling me is that we've been given this crappy little compass, and now we're supposed to be finding this damn shrine in the middle of this damn forest?" Kai growled, tapping the scratched glass of the compass with her finger.

"Yes, weren't you listening?" Reiji sighed. He watched Setsuna disappear into the forest with Hiro. He despised these irregular pairings just as much as he despised being away from Setsuna. With a deep exhale he released Chikorita, who skipped from root to root rather cheerfully. Kai had called out her Houndoom.

"So what's Cherrygrove city like? What's your family like? What're _you_ like?" Kai asked.

"It's fine, my family is fine, and I'm just me." He replied, shaking the compass vigorously.

"I see." Kai replied curtly. She wanted to give no effort to someone who wouldn't return it. Chikorita bound next to Houndoom and began chattering to him endlessly.

"Jeesh, Chikorita. You hardly ever speak this much!" His pokemon flipped the leaf on her head—almost in a shrug—and resumed conversation.

"Further proof girls never shut up." Reiji muttered.

"What did you say?" Kai wheeled on him, boring her violet eyes into his green ones.

"Further proof girls never. Shut. Up." He stepped around a fuming Kai, avoided a blow to the head, and pressed forward.

XXX

"Where's your laptop, Setsuna?" Hiro asked, heeding a warning from Jolteon to avoid a boulder on his left. She exhaled and replied evenly.

"Torvenal wouldn't let me take it. So now I'm recording all of my data manually, and it's an honest bore."

He nodded and tapped the compass in his hand.

"So are you always this monotone?"

She shot him a cold look that clearly indicated she wanted Hiro to stop talking.

"Sorry, it's just that usually people have a problem if they're angry all the time."

"It's not that I'm angry," She snapped. "I _can't _feel emotion."

This stopped Hiro in his tracks.

"Can't feel emotion?" He repeated in disbelief. Setsuna shrugged off the black jacket she was wearing and flipped down the strap of her white camisole. Protruding out of her back were three metal nodes. Around the nodes were networks of blue veins, which pulsed slightly whenever she turned her spine.

"What happened to you?" He whispered.

"I don't wish to discuss this any further. I apologize but we need to reach the shrine first." She grabbed the compass out of Hiro's cold hand, reset it, and left Hiro dumbfounded.

XXX

"So you're new too, eh? Reina is it?" Johnny crooned, running his fingers through his orange hair. Reina nodded and directed Ace to follow her. The serious-looking Sceptile darted between trees and brushes quickly, only detectable by a lime green blur in the air.

Johnny kicked over a mossy rock and scared off a nest of Weedle below it.

"Sorry mates!" He called down the hole. Reina giggled at the British's boys antics. Since when were boys this adorably goofy? Rolling her eyes and smiling, she climbed down a small hill and accidentally dropped the compass. Before she could bend to get it Johnny was placing it in her hands.

"Oh! How'd you move so fast?"

"I'm like a jackal!" He laughed, sprinting away from her.

"What the hell? That doesn't make sense!" She screamed, adding to his laughter with peals of giggles.

After an unofficial game of tag the two sat on a low stone to rest. Neither trainer could breathe due to excessive laughter and running in the dense forest. Reina tilted her head back and sucked air in gasps. When she didn't hear Johnny breathing hard, she stopped and stared at the orange haired mystery. Her heart jumped when she realized he was staring back.

"What were you staring at?" She asked, quickly running through lists of possible embarrassments she could have overlooked, like snot in her nose or food in her teeth. Johnny smiled his crooked, damaged smile and shook his head.

"Your jaw line, dearie. It's to die for." With a slow inhale he ran his finger along her jaw and leapt up with a howling laugh.

"We've got a damn shrine to find!"

XXX

"We should be close, the compass is going haywire." Emily Johnson said. Sid Vicious, who had brought along a Spanish guitar, unstrapped it from his back and began strumming.

"Do you like Spanish music?" Sid asked.

"I do, I love it when people speak Spanish." She replied, momentarily reminded of her ex-boyfriend. He used to show up late at night and sing to her window in Spanish. It was very hot and very cute and very _inappropriate_, if anyone cared to translate his words.

"I'm sorry love, I don't know any Spanish songs in Spanish. But I bet Johnny or Hiro does."

"Hn." She mumbled, not paying any particular attention.

"Fine, I take your lack of interest as a cue to stop talking. Can't do much without talking. But you know what ye _can_ do?" He asked coyly. At this point Emily had completely tuned out.

"Kissing don't take no talking, now does it?" Using her lack of mental alertness to his advantage, Sid took her opposite hand and spun her so their noses were barely touching. She was very alert now.

"_Besame._" He breathed. Recognizing the term and blushing madly, Emily pressed her lips against the British boy. Spanish was her weakness, her Achilles heel, and this rambunctious yet attractive British boy knew how to speak it.

She vaguely wondered if Daisuke knew Spanish as well, but the thought of him speaking another language made her giggle.

So she dismissed it and continued kissing him.

XXX

"Crap! Ahh god!" Daisuke's fingers were knotted in his fiery hair, and he paced back and forth while James tried to fix their compass. The dial was cracked and the needle barely pointed north. Growling under his breath, James chucked the compass over his shoulder and pulled a nicer one from his pocket. Almost immediately the needle pointed north and James got up and began to follow it.

"This is bad!" Daisuke moaned, almost tripping over a Kakuna who had made the mistake of cutting the silk from its spinneret. James, who had heard this persistent complaining the entire trip, finally succumbed.

"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM THEN?" He shouted. Daisuke was silenced immediately—he wasn't sure James could speak that loud, ever.

"Emily is with that prick Sid! She likes him, I know it!" He growled.

"Well, you treat everyone horribly, including Emily, so I wouldn't be surprised if she started to eventually like him. You're kind of an asshole." He said matter-of-factly.

"Is that right? Same could be said for you! You decide never to talk to Venice, instead you just ignore her and act like your cold, antisocial self. I'm surprised Nick hasn't made his move yet!" He retorted. James merely rolled his eyes, and snapped his fingers twice. Out of the trees emerged James' Gliscor, Claw.

"Have you spotted the shrine?" He asked him. The Gliscor nodded and flew ahead.

XXX

Riley and Alex had already reached the Ilex forest shrine, which had been nestled in a small meadow. Here was an open skylight to the summer sun, and its warmth seemed to rejuvenate the heat-seeking Riley. Alex, a fan of the warmth as well, basked in its golden glow. Around the old stone shrine small vines had grown over it, twisting and stretching into small patterns. Purple flowers grew out of them every so often, and they swayed in the slight breeze. The meadow seemed alive.

With every gust of the wind the grass seemed to inhale and fluctuate, and the trees would echo their intake with rustling sounds of their own.

"There's hidden power here." Alex commented, and upon inspection her Blaze agreed. Riley's Charizard was prowling the perimeters of the meadow in search of berries or small game.

Riley touched the shrine and felt energy flowing through his veins, through his heart, and spreading to every inch of his body. When the sensation had reached his toes he began to feel exhilaration.

"Alex, this is amazing. You have to try it." He urged. She shrugged, seeing no harm, and placed her hands on the shrine. Her hair began to float upward, and she felt her body growing lighter. Every positive feeling was manifested in every fiber of her being—a sense of euphoria she thought could never be replicated.

At that moment the other campers began to emerge from the forest and into the sun, including Cameron and Yanmega.

"And the prize goes to Mr. Hansen and Ms. Cesarini! Congratulations!" He cheered.

AC and Venice looked irritated—their competitive spirit had been broken by their loss. In the sun AC's marks glittered and shone brightly, giving him a godlike appearance. It was enough to momentarily distract everyone from the loss of the contest.

"You should come touch this, AC." Riley prompted. "Your marks might make the shrine work differently."

When Anthony James Carter placed his hand on the shrine, a blinding light flashed. It outshone the sun and the stars and everything in-between. When the brilliance dimmed everyone gasped. AC's marks were glowing, as were his eyes and his mouth. Cameron vaguely came into the conclusion that AC was in a trance.

"AC? Can you hear me?" Magden asked, reaching out to stroke his cheek. AC seemed to not have felt the contact or decided to ignore it, because he remained as still and unmoving as a statue.

"AC?" Magden placed her hand on his shoulder and tapped it a few times.

But the boy did not stir.

XXX

Kame Takeshi had situated herself in Hiro's "bed" of blankets and a foam mattress, finding his scent and his area more comfortable than her own. She was sleeping fitfully, experiencing all sorts of nightmares and terrors that she wouldn't remember when she woke up. Currently, her subconscious painted pictures of Jessica and Tyler, who had sat her down to warn her.

_"Kame! You must listen to me!" Jessica pleaded._

_"They're going to kill you, they're going to first take your eyes, and then kill you." Tyler urged, slamming his fist on the table. Both deceased trainers had grown tired of trying to convince her, but Kame wouldn't hear any of their story._

_"Don't be ridiculous, Jess. And Ty, calm down. Everyone's going to be okay." She smiled warmly and Jessica screamed. _

_"Don't you see what they did to me? To Tyler?" She cried. Suddenly, the images of the healthy Jessica and Tyler were replaced with the versions of their corpses. Jessica's hair was cropped short, burned in some places, and a large hemorrhage in her left temple was visible. Tyler's throat was cut completely open, and his stomach was swollen and bruised._

_"These people aren't Team Rocket, Kame." She paused to hold her aching head. _

_"You must stop them before summer's end. If you don't, Orion's constellation will align." Tyler's blood cascaded from his throat every time he tried to speak. He swayed from the blood loss._

_"But what do we have to do?" Kame asked. _

_"That is something you must find out on your own—but we are always here to show you the way."_

_"Where?" Kame demanded, panicking when the images of her fallen friends began to dissipate._

_"In here." With a bloody finger Jessica touched Kame's heart. _

XXX

When AC touched the shrine, his conscious mind melted away. He was taken above the forest, the clouds, the earth, and resided on the crossroads of destiny. His body was no longer substantial, he could see the stars and the infinite blackness that outer space held. But he looked at his hands and his shoulder, where the marks from the Lugia kissed his skin. They shone brightly.

He was suddenly drawn forward, on an enlightened path, to a small hill. Waiting past the hill was the Lugia that marked him.

"Anthony James Carter, I see you have summoned me." The giant pokemon bowed its head in respect, and AC returned the gesture.

"I had no idea I was calling you. What is this place?" He was bold in his questioning.

"This is the in-between. A place where time has stopped and space is infinite. A place where nothing is understandable, yet the world fits in its perfect comprehensibility."

"You are confusing me." He admitted.

"When you summon me, the power I have granted you takes your soul from your body and brings it here, where all the souls of pokemon rest. Where you now have access to thousands of entities who have experienced the hardships you face, those who have 'been around the block'."

"But why can I only summon you then?"

"Your power has been granted by me and therefore your limitations have also been granted. The spirits of the lesser pokemon do not need disturbances like you." The Lugia's voice adopted a playful tone, and AC couldn't help but smile.

"So this is like the spirit world?"

"In a sense. But you can only reach me in stages of deep meditation, in places of sanctity, or in the presence of another Legendary. Young AC, your mind is bright and strong, and comfort yourself with the fact that you will always be able to reach me. You are a blessed soul, pure of heart, one who can save us all."

AC's eyes began to swell with tears of gratitude.

"I will. I must. No one will ever have to die."

The Lugia smiled and faded into space. AC began to feel his body grow heavy, tangible, and landed rather abruptly in his body. He opened his blue eyes to meet a worried Magden.

"It's okay, I'm fine. I just spaced out." Chuckling at his own private joke, AC took his hands off of the shrine and looked around.

"Can we go back now?"

XXX

**Sorry for another boring chapter—spring break is coming up and ive got some action in store—but I just wanted to ease you all out of the deaths and into normal camp life. **

**Tell me what you think, and check out the forum!**

**Love, Katie. **


	19. Chained to a Hurricane

**I'd love it if yall checked out the forums, id really like feedback and suggestions! I was wondering if you guys would want a miniature spinoff series when C.C. is done…**

**Like one-shots, or a series of the whole "Life Before/after C.C." kind of thing.**

**Interested? I'll take requests for a special one-shot for any pairing (actual pairings *see guide*) or crack pairs. Leave request in reviews! **

**ALSO check out my profile for some info, and im doing a character of the week.**

**This week's character: BERANE DIMONIS.**

**So here we go, chapter 19:**

XXX

AC never told anyone about what transpired in the in-between, but he could be found meditating in direct sunlight for long periods of time. This behavior was strange for AC, a different pace from the usual workouts he and his pokemon would endure.

During these moments of meditation AC waded in the calm waters of his subconscious, desperately trying to access the cosmic sieve of knowledge that the Lugia told him about. But no matter how focused he was, or how at peace his mind seemed to be, he couldn't find that place again.

It was an early Tuesday morning, and AC returned from a meditation session to find Hiro sitting at a picnic table with Sid and Johnny. The sun hadn't even bothered to rise yet, and the three boys sat silently across from each other, tuning their instruments. Hiro had Sid's Spanish guitar on his lap, while Johnny held Hiro's acoustic. Sid had a pair of bongo drums and was currently tightening the leather strings that stretched the canvas over the hollow cavity.

"What are you guys doing up this early?" He asked. Hiro merely smiled and pressed a finger to his lips, shushing him. AC shrugged and retreated to his tent.

"How about a little Carlos Santana?" Sid suggested. The two boys agreed with vigorous nodding as Hiro strummed the first notes of "_Maria Maria_."

"_Maria, Maria! She reminds me of a West Side story_!"

"_Growing up in Spanish Harlem, livin' the life just like a movie star_!"

Magden stuck her head out of the tent, shaking fingers through her mass of curls and squinting in the grey dawn.

_"Maria, Maria! She fell in love in East L.A.!" _

_"To the sounds of the guitar, yea, yea, played by Carlos Santana!" _

Hiro noticed her, winked, and continued in the Spanglish verses.

_"I said a la fella los colores—The streets are getting hotter—There is no water to put out the fire—Mi cosa la esperanza!"_

Magden smiled back and walked outside to sit at the table. Out of the corner of his eye, Hiro could see AC peeking through a tent flap. Did he not realize they were trying to help him? Magden waited patiently until the song was over to inquire about their early morning antics.

"What are you guys doing?" She asked.

"Serenading you, _Maria." _ Johnny smirked, plucking a few more notes.

"How'd you know my name is Maria?" She growled. She hated her real name, and tried to keep it as much of a secret as possible.

"You could say a little birdie told us tha—"

"IT WAS AC!" Sid shrieked.

Hiro slapped a hand to his forehead in defeat.

"You can come out now, mate! We've warmed 'er up for ye!" Johnny cackled, howling in laughter as a blushing AC came from the tent. His burning cheeks threw his marks into relief, and the sight made Magden cover her mouth to prevent giggling. She rose, back facing the trio of musicians, and walked towards AC.

"Did you hire these idiots to serenade me for you?" Over Magden's shoulder Hiro, Johnny, and Sid nodded crazily, throwing the "thumbs-up" sign at him, trying to get him to agree.

"Of course I did!" He didn't sound convincing but Magden brushed it aside.

"How sweet!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him into a hug.

"Wanna go for a morning walk?" He whispered. She nodded and they retreated toward the forest.

"YOU'RE WELCOME, YOU MOOCHIN' WANKER!"

AC flipped the bird over Magden's shoulder and didn't look back.

XXX

The morning proceeded with a light breakfast of crepes (to Tarkov's immeasurable delight) and an array of fruits. The campers awaited an outburst of yelling, or orders to run laps or do pushups from the ex-general. But he sat in silent bliss with three plates of the thin French pancakes. Seeing that Tarkov wasn't going to start the day's activities anytime soon, Hunter rolled her eyes and walked toward the black bus. She had Teddiursa drag a heavy-looking metal box from the undercarriage of the bus and hoist it onto the picnic table. She hid the obscured the contents of the box from view and motioned for Cameron and Vick to come over.

When Cameron looked into the box he groaned.

"Do we _have_ to do this exercise today?" His mood had plummeted at the sight of whatever was in the metal box, and Yanmega burst into buzzing laughter at his master's discontent. Hunter nodded, with the slightest hint of mirth in her voice.

"I think they can handle it."

With a flash of silver, Cameron snatched an object out of the box and grabbed Hunter's wrist with the other. Once she was securely cuffed he pulled Vick's right wrist and locked it in the remaining cuff. Laughing insanely he jumped out of Hunter's reach and the hilarity mounted when her jaw dropped.

"Today, we will be doing a trust exercise!" He shouted, dodging a rabid swing from the green-haired counselor. Vick, on the other hand, kept his feet firmly planted so as to distance her from Cameron. (Almost in gratitude for chaining him to the object of his affection.)

Yanmega swooped into the box and flitted from pair to pair, binding the normal pairs as one.

"For the next twenty-four hours, you and your partner will be sent into the forest! Similar to Mt. Moon's exercise, but there are stipulations involved. You need to find everything on the list enclosed in the packs we've provided!" On Riley's face was a wicked grin—oh the possibilities that open when you're chained with another person.

Daisuke looked absolutely livid when Emily was paired with Sid. The rocker winked at Daisuke behind Emily's back, and the ginger lunged for him, only to be pulled back by his cuff. Daisuke was chained to Tarkov.

"You're staying with me today, Nakamura!" He growled, "Your behavior recently isn't suitable for this activity!" A booming laugh from the ex-general only spiked Daisuke's anger.

XXX

The list was scrawled in Cameron's slanted hand, with every "g" slicing into the words below it, and the "I's" and "j's" were without dots. The items on the list were as such:

_Find a moon lily. They're difficult to locate—seeing as they grow in dark and damp places—try the caves in the southwest!_

_Catch a forest pokemon. Do not catch Caterpie, Weedle, Pidgey, Spearow, etc. Find me something exotic!_

_Make it to checkpoint #3 by midnight. It's the green star on the map enclosed. _

_Build a shelter for the night, (see enclosed directions) and snap a photo (camera is provided) _

_Have fun! And keep it safe! _

Could it get any cornier?

XXX

The sun was high in the clouds as the chained campers dragged each other through the forest. And the real kicker was that everyone could only choose one pokemon. Kame and her Vulpix were the obvious pair, as were Hiro and Jolteon. Venice and Cait, her Espeon, trotted alongside Jet the Garchomp and James. Sid and Smoochum were next to Emily and Delcatty tangled herself between her master's legs. Riley's Typhlosion roared when Kai's Houndoom snapped at it, they seemed almost as belligerent as their masters' relationship: violent, hot, and full of bickering. Setsuna stood nonchalant, her left hand slowly stroking the scaly snout of her Totodile. Reiji and Zubat were hunched over a small leather-bound journal. Johnny was whispering into Reina's right ear, and the proximity of his voice made her jump a bit. At their feet were Johnny's Tyrogue and Reina's Sceptile, Ace. Magden and AC were cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by Magby and Mach, Magden's Breloom. Talia's Chingling was warming up to Berane's left leg, and hid shyly behind it whenever Berane's Espeon would try and greet her. Alex and Mark chose Blaze and Sarah.

"So, you all have your lists, and a timer set to go off in twenty four hours!" Mind you, the exercise ends at three in the morning, so that leaves about eight additional hours of tethered trouble!" Vick winked at Hunter who slapped him with her right hand. (The chained one)

"Tarkov is in charge of the keys," Vick noted, and Tarkov jingled them with a sadistic grin."So that means—"

"We really _are_ chained to each other!" Daisuke groaned. He ran his fingers through his red hair in exasperation and turned back to the sudoku Tarkov had provided him.

XXX

James Curtis was uncomfortable.

He was uncomfortable, one, because he took off his air force jacket in order to be cuffed properly. And two, despite his partner being Venice, he did _not_ enjoy the intimacy that came with being chained to someone for a day. James tugged at his shirt a few times, feeling claustrophobic, and quickly drew his hand down when he caught Venice looking.

"Are you okay, James?" Her cool breath tickled his bare bicep, and when the scent hit his nose it made his head swim.

"Y-yes. I'm f-fine!" A cold breeze cut through the forest and ruffled Venice's long hair. A few loose strands brushed against his arm, raising goose bumps and sending shivers down his spine. It was so wrong on his personal standards, yet his body ached for more. James almost stopped in his tracks. Could he possibly want _more_ human contact? He dismissed the thought and focused his attention on Cait and Jet. Cait had somehow convinced Jet to let him give her a lift—she was situated between the dragon's shoulder blades. This also unsettled him—how could Venice and Cait break their reserved mannerisms so easily?

"..James!" She shoved him lightly with her left hand.

"What? I wasn't listening." He mumbled.

"Uh, obviously! I'm asking you where you think a moon lily is!" She growled, snatching the list from my fingers. Her warm skin touched mine briefly and I jumped.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She persisted, reaching for James' cheek. He tried to avoid looking in her eyes and failed miserably. He was caught in her jeweled gaze and felt the pain of his mother's stare all over again. It was simultaneously breathtaking and heartbreaking. He leaned into her slender fingers and sighed, his muscles relaxing.

_"I'm fine now."_ He whispered.

"What was that?" Venice asked, hooking her hair over her ear, revealing three cartilage piercings. James took notice of these and decided they were attractive.

"Nothing." He cleared his throat and tried to read Cameron's terrible handwriting. Hearing a crash, James glanced up to see Cait and Jet wrestling over an odd-looking white flower. Its petals were waxy and triangular, and curved slightly at the ends. Whenever the two pokemon would move into the sun, the petals closed. In the shade, they opened.

"That's gotta be a moon lily!" Venice cried, sprinting towards Cait. This is turn forced James into a run, which resulted in the couple tumbling over a gnarled branch and onto the forest floor.

"..Ow." She groaned, reaching with her free hand to touch a knot on her head. She gingerly prodded the rest of her skull for injuries and looked satisfied when she found none. The duo decided to get back up but were alarmed when they found they couldn't. The cuffs had impaled a smaller root, and the chain was tangled in a mess of mottled wood.

"Wonderful. What are we supposed to do now? Wait?" James growled, slapping his forehead with his spare hand.

"Well, we might as well make the best of it." Venice suggested. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her ipod. She plugged in both headphones and turned away from James. The shocked boy's jaw fell open.

"Are you serious?" He shouted. Venice looked at him with a knowing smile, placed a hand by her ear, and motioned the "I can't hear you" sign.

"_Are you serious?" _Venice laughed mockingly and merely turned up the volume. Her plan for "training" the Curtis boy was well under way.

XXX

_"How am I supposed to say this?_ " Mark was currently caught in an intense battle in his mind. Alex was walking a few feet ahead of him with a white skirt on, and through her clothing she seemed to be having an issue. A _female related_ issue. Mark weighed his options: pretending he didn't see it would both insult Alex and embarrass her when she discovered her skirt was ruined. Yet on the flipside, Alex would be furious that Mark knew she was having her _issue _or the fact that he was staring at that area in the first place. Alex herself was in a bit of a mental breakdown. She noticed the look of worry on Mark's face and discreetly smelled her hair. It smelled like lavender, which she decided was a pretty tolerable scent. They walked through the forest for a while, Mark not saying anything. Blaze and Sarah were in their own world about twenty meters ahead.

"There's a moon lily!" She shouted, bending over to clip the flower with a pair of scissors. She pulled a large Ziploc bag out of the pack's first aid kit and slipped the bud inside. She handed the pack to Mark and they began walking. Mark complained randomly about a cut, which Alex found odd, but decided there was nothing to it.

"Alex, do you want to see if we can find a hot spring? My legs are killing me." His words were quick and he kept his eyes away from hers. Alex grew more unsettled and reluctantly agreed.

"I don't see why we can't just sit down." She huffed. After twenty or so minutes of trekking the couple came across a natural hot spring. It was nestled in a small cave, and hot steam rose from its mouth in inviting tendrils.

"Its totally dark in there…" Alex whispered. She had never been a fan of the darkness and didn't intend to become one. Mark grasped her hand and led her inside.

"Turn around!" She ordered. Mark gladly complied and Alex shimmied off her skirt and shirt, slipping into the steaming hot water. Her arm dragged Mark down from his height a bit, but he ignored the strain and removed his clothes.

"Are there extra clothes in the bag?" Alex asked. Mark checked and found clothing belonging to both guys and girls.

"Yep. Hunter hooked us up." He answered.

"What is wrong with you today, mark?" Alex growled. She was tired of the dodgy attitude and wanted answers.

"I c-can't say," He choked. "You'd be livid." Alex's jaw fell open. Why wouldn't he be open with her?

"Just say it! Nothing you can say can make me angr—"

"You bled through your skirt!" He shouted. "I'm sorry I was acting weird but what was I supposed to do? Ignore it?" He ran a hand through his brown hair. Alex was silenced immediately. She now had an answer to the stomach aches she experienced earlier.

After three minutes of grueling silence Mark reached for her.

"I'm sorry." He stroked her long hair and Alex could feel her face burning. She was upset that her skirt was ruined but more upset about Mark knowing.

"It's not your fault…" She sighed. Alex rose from the pool and asked Mark to turn around. She peeled off her wet underwear and bra and replaced them with fresh ones, not without using some of the feminine products in the first aid kid. She then tugged on a pair of loose-fitting grey sweatpants and a fitted camisole. Warm enough for her legs but breathable enough for the summer night. Mark climbed out of the spring and dressed similarly.

"…Are you not going to talk to me the rest of the time?" He prodded. Alex shrugged and choked back tears. The traitorous liquid threatened to spill from her blue eyes and Mark brushed them away with his thumb.

"Don't be embarrassed. Nothing grosses me out, remember?" He stuck his tongue into his nostril to prove his point. Alex laughed half-heartedly and balled up her ruined clothes.

"Blaze, flamethrower!"

And so the _issue_ was reduced to cinders. Alex sighed at the sight of her white skirt burning, it had been one of her favorites. Markus saw her discontent and put his arm around her.

"Don't worry, Al, we'll find you a skirt that'll make you look ten times sexier than you already are!" She rolled her eyes and sighed again.

"Do you really think I'm sexy?"

"Is your skirt a pile of ashes?"

With a little yelp of surprise and a slap that smarted, Mark realized the true meaning of a "backhanded compliment".

XXX

"How about a battle?" Kai suggested. Houndoom perked at the chance for bloodshed, but Riley shook his head.

"Too tired."

"How about…hide and seek?" Riley lifted their wrists to her eye level, shook the bonds a few times, and let his arm fall slack.

"How about we take a rest?"

"No, we can't stop now." Kai scoffed at this.

"How about…we make out?"

"..No, I'm too—wait _WHAT?"_ Riley wheeled on the violet-eyed vixen with a shocked expression.

"What did you say?" Riley asked.

"I said, how about we stake out a campsite?" Kai gave him an odd look and Riley shook his head, trying to rid himself of his daze. He was _sure_ she just suggested sucking face. After that, ahem, miscommunication the couple walked in silence. Every few seconds Riley would glance sideways at the shorter girl and wondered what made her so alluring. Her eyes? Her hair? That curved smile that always appeared when he suggested something naughty?

As if she heard his thoughts her lips curled upward when she caught him staring.

"Like what you see?" At this point Kai had abandoned the stuttering and decided for a direct approach—Hiro advised it and it always seemed to work for him. Riley cocked an eyebrow and winked.

"Baby don't you know it."

"Then come get some." She winked right back and flashed him a dazzling smile. Riley was considering whether this was a trap or not—Kai's make out sessions were usually scarce, the only times they've kissed were at the dance and in Mt. Moon, so why was she being so open?

"You're chained right to me, right? What's stopping you?" Her chained left hand began playing with his fingers. Her smooth skin ran in circles over his thumb and the gesture gave him goose bumps. Riley stopped mid-stride and bent to Kai's height.

"Why do you torture me, you impossible woman?" Kai smirked wickedly and bent two inches from his face.

"Because you make it so easy." She breathed, lips mere millimeters away. Her intoxicating breath was cool over his face and sent him into a frenzy.

"Kiss me." He pleaded, inching toward her. Right before their faces met Kai pulled away, swiping her foot under Riley's bent legs and grounding him.

"Sit, boy!" With a maniac laugh she sat on his back, twisting his arm over his spine.

"Dammit, Kai! My junk is squished!" Kai blushed at his blatancy but only dug her hips deeper into his back.

"How about now?"

XXX

"Chingling! Stop eating that, I think it's poisonous!" Talia's Chingling obediently spat a wad of soggy grass into Talia's free palm, much like a reluctant child would spit gum into a teacher's hand. With a little squeal she shook the cud from her fingers. Berane and Espeon watched the odd exchange in silence.

He decided studying Talia while she was distracted was a great time-passer, and he had become so proficient in the practice he could glance away at a moment's notice.

"Berane, look! There are the moon lilies!" She grasped his gloved hand (the wolf's head squished between alabaster fingers) and pulled him to the bed of lilies. Beneath two enormous trees, where their shadows cast near-darkness, nestled the meadow with a multitude of lilies. Between the blooms were shoots of tall grass.

"Okay, so we need one for Cameron," She clipped a flower, "And one for you!" With a soft giggle she hooked a lily over Berane's ear. The flower was almost as white has his hair, with its plump petals brushing near his multicolored eyes.

He only smiled and pulled the flower from his hair, and turned to put it in Talia's hair. She gingerly touched the flower and looked up with her orange eyes.

"Does it look pretty?" She asked.

"Yes, _you _do." She looked at him, partly to see if he really said what he just said. When she saw his shy smile her grin stretched across her face.

"Thank you, Berane. You're pretty, too." She laughed lightly and Berane rolled his eyes with another smile.

She made him happy. She made his scars sting less. She made him feel like escaping the fire was worth it. Like he was _meant_ to survive, if only for her.

XXX

"Meissa. How you and your subordinate have disappointed me." Betelgeuse sighed, tapping his tanned fingers against the marble of the conference room. Zara was situated in an aggravated mess at his feet. Sari shifted uncomfortably in her chair, and Aaron merely glared at him.

"Now that the body of Jessica Cooper is no longer in our custody, our first sacrifice will not be complete."

"But they both died, didn't they?" Aaron snapped.

"Yes, the two children are indeed deceased. But in order to follow the prophecy, we needed them both for the blood ceremony." Betelgeuse calmly pulled a switchblade from his pocket and unsheathed the knife, running his finger along the blade. When his skin split, crimson drops of blood ran from the cut and into the air. It suspended in midair, floating similarly to a lava lamp's goo.

"Why are you doing that?" Sari whispered.

"Do you see how important blood is to this place? To Orion? To his beast?"

When Betelgeuse touched his blood to the table, the entire room began to vibrate. It was low at first, but then increased in intensity. Sari's hair began to rise toward the ceiling, along with her pokeballs. The places he smeared his blood glowed a deep gold, and when it was absorbed the shaking eventually stopped.

"The auras here feed on blood, on life, and without fulfilling the prophecy more of our own blood will be shed to satisfy it." Betelgeuse said. Sari swallowed hard and tried not to look in Betelgeuse's eyes. Aaron, who would usually laugh at something as stupid as this, was awed into silence. The power here was nothing like he had ever witnessed.

"Have we figured out anything about the prophecy?" He asked, hoping for a loophole that wouldn't involve his death. Betelgeuse sighed and pulled a folded note from his shirt pocket and threw it down in front of Sari.

"Meissa, see if you two can make sense of this. I'm going to check our little concoction."

Sari unfolded the note and read over Betelgeuse's notes. His writing was long, elegant, and legible. At the top he had copied the fragmented prophecy, and below were numerous attempts at filling the spaces, accompanied by numerous strikethroughs and harsh lines of the pen. The villainous couple stayed cooped up in the conference room for hours, until they had finally decided on the completed version.

_"Over the armies of Darkness this Beast holds sway,  
And shall reign its power over all the land.  
Unlocked by the Powers of Earth, Sea, and Air,  
Awakened by the Terrors of the Skies._

Not the Chosen one but two, they meet with Orion's belt,  
A heroes fate they share the bond, of Life and Death they make.  
Darkening Lightness from their path, consuming all they see.  
Lightening Darkness from their path, restoring all they see."

"Terrors of the skies?" Aaron asked.

"Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres!" Sari screamed.

They were making a breakthrough.

XXX

"We've got the damn flower, now we need a pokemon." Hiro crossed out the first task on their list and reached for the zipper on the backpack with his left hand. He pulled out an ultra ball and tapped the button, expanding the ball to its full size.

"See any pokemon, Jolt?" He asked. Jolteon sat, closed his eyes, and waited for a few seconds. Then his left ear twitched west and he smelled the air.

"That way?" Kame asked. Vulpix turned her muzzle the same way and barked in agreement. The couple shrugged and followed their pokemon. As the two slowly maneuvered through the thick forest brush, Jolteon and Vulpix seemed to be hitting it off. They walked closely and were jabbering in some unknown poke-language. Suddenly, Jolteon's ears stood straight up and stopped in his tracks.

"Do you hear that?" Hiro asked. An odd humming sound came from the clearing ahead of them. The sunlight cut through the meadow brightly, and the closer they advanced the louder the humming got.

"I think they're a group of Kricketune!" Kame hissed. She slunk behind a tree, pulling Hiro with her. The abrupt gesture forced Hiro onto her against the tree.

"Ooh, Kame. Getting braver by the day!" He winked his blue eye and she reddened.

"No, shut up! I don't want them to see your ego! Oh, I mean us…" Kame teased. Hiro rolled his eyes and peered around the dark bark of the tree.

"I want this one." Kame urged. She clicked her tongue and Vulpix trotted over to her.

"Go, use flamethrower!" The little Vulpix slunk through the brush silently, and began igniting the plants as the Kricketune played obliviously.

Kame broke into a sprint after Vulpix, and Hiro almost twisted his wrist off to follow.

"Dammit, Kame! Slow down!"

"No," She snatched the pokeball from his other hand. "Vulpix, use bite!"

The little Vulpix leapt from a low branch and straight for a medium-sized Kricketune. It was currently rubbing its bow-like arms over its abdomen, caught in its own melody and completely unaware of the attack that came. Vulpix clamped onto the bug pokemon's abdomen, small white teeth puncturing the hard shell. The Kricketune responded immediately with a fury swipes, and large red cuts were sliced into Vulpix's reddish fur. It shook off Kame's companion and jumped back, crouching into an offensive stance.

"Vulpix, use flame wheel!" Vulpix barreled at the Kricketune, landing a square hit on its sensitive stomach. It cried and clutched its abdomen in pain. Looking back at its aggressor the Kricketune began to play a Perish Song. The haunting melody quickly put Vulpix to sleep, and this gave time for the almost-unconscious Kricketune to rest.

"All right, Pix! You're fine!" Kame said doubtfully. In response to her encouragement Vulpix let out a large snore. Kame slapped her right palm against her forehead and then shifted her weight.

"Let's go, Ultraball…" She sighed. Kame threw the ball at the weakened Kricketune and it was moved as red energy within the ball. After rolling around for a few moments the light went out.

"YES! We did it! I caught a Kricketune! Hiro, did you see that?" Her elation was definitely evident as she grabbed Hiro's face. He smiled under her hands, forcing his cheeks between the spaces her fingers made.

"Yes, Kame. I was right here, remember?"

"Oh! Right.." She blushed madly once more and looked away.

"Why do you do that, tortoise?" Hiro asked.

"Do w-what?" Kame stuttered. Hiro narrowed his eyes knowingly and continued.

"Why does looking at my face make you blush? Why are you so uncomfortable? There's no need to be afraid of me. We're two of a kind, remember?" He reached with thin fingers to peel the bandage from her face. Kame held her breath, her heart hammering from the proximity of the older boy. She wanted so desperately to trust him, to completely fall for him.

He inhaled in awe at her iris, fully appreciating the perfection of its irregularity. It was as if he were seeing sunlight for the first time, or hearing laughter for the first time. Breathtaking and impressionable.

"Don't hide from this. This—" He brushed his thumb over her eye, "—is so beautiful."

Kame's heart rushed with such gratitude. No one could make her feel this way. Tears of utter joy and acceptance flowed from her ice blue eyes. They graced her pale skin like glittering diamonds, filled with raw emotion unmatched by any feeling.

"Thank you, Hiro." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Tortoise, you don't have to thank me." He replied.

"Why is that? Am I not allowed to thank you?" She smiled and sniffled.

"Because, Tortoise, you make liking you too easy. This isn't work, or a hassle. It's not my job. It's a privilege, sweetheart."

She said nothing and threw her arms around him. With his cold skin and sweet smell, Kame let out around twelve years of suppressed torment. The pain of losing her parents, the hurt of not knowing where her brother is, and the torturous years spent without her two eyes. All of the ridicule, all of the sorrow, was being cried out onto Hiro's v-neck. The Kricketune in her pocket sprung from the Ultra Ball and watched its new master sob. Hiro watched its eyebrows furrow, and seeing Kame cry compelled it to raise its arms.

The Kricketune began to play a soft melody, something to calm the storm that was Kame's pain. She subconsciously swayed with the music until Hiro pulled her from his chest.

"Can I have this dance, Ms. Takeshi?" Hiro asked smoothly. His voice like velvet, and irregular eyes sparkling, Kame was rendered senseless once more. The only response was to lace her fingers within his.

The Kricketune broke into a slow waltz and the couple spun through the forest, chained at the wrist and chained at the heart.

XXX

Sid and Emily had found a moon lily, made a suitable campsite, and caught a few fish from a nearby stream to cook over a small fire. Emily was charring the white chunks of flesh on sharpened saplings, razed down by the spikes on Sid's crutches.

"Resourceful girl, aren't we?" Sid crooned. Emily gave him a smile and ignored the comment.

"So how did you get caught up in the camp?"

"It was a bit of a laugh, actually," He ran a hand through his dark spikes and continued, "Johnny and I were decidin' on whether we'd go on tour in Japan or not. An then, Johnny found this flyer on the floor. It was advertisin' the camp. We figgered tha it'd be a nice break from playin every day, and it'd be a riot compared to the celebrity life." He answered honestly. Sid watched quietly as a beetle crawled across his thigh. Without hesitation he crushed the beetle with his fist, rubbing its innards on a leaf nearby.

"You're gross, Sid." Emily stuck out her tongue as he licked his finger.

"It's protein, love." He smiled wickedly and wiped the finger on her cheek, resulting in a smart slap from Emily.

"Love stings." He smiled again. This only peaked her agitation.

"Your face flushes a lovely color of red, Darlin'. 'Specially when you're barmy."

"Oh, thank you Sid!" She gushed sarcastically. "What nice words coming from a guy who wears such tight pants!" The British boy ran his tongue over his teeth, and pinched an inch of his drainpipe jeans to test their tightness.

"Do you know why I wear such tight pants?" Sid leaned close to her ear, whispering the inquiry between dark brown locks.

"No. Enlighten me." She said flippantly.

"They force the blood to my heart." He winked once and grabbed Emily's face, kissing it. His touch was rough but his lips soft, and the contrast startled Emily. She was thrilled, mainly because being with Sid didn't involve work. Daisuke played hard to get. Sid was the one coming to _her. _

She craved the kisses he stole.

They were things she was willing to let burglars in for.

XXX

Hunter was about to rip her hair out. She had already employed Teddiursa to keep Vick in check, but this did not prevent him from peeking when she had to shower, or from "staring down her shirt because 'a bug flew in it'". Her yellow jacket was zipped up past her cleavage for the remainder of the day, and even as she was filling out paperwork Vick was pestering her.

"Hunt, why don't we go back to the counseling tent for a nap? I'll let you take off my shirt."

"Sounds tempting." Hunter spat sarcastically. There was no mirth to her voice, but this fact didn't seem to hinder Vick.

"One kiss. One. You can't say you didn't enjoy that kiss on the bus. That would be a bold faced _lie." _The last words were murmured onto her neck. Hunter, as much as she _detested_ the pink-haired pervert, could _not_ deny the elation she experienced during the impromptu slobbering.

"Stop it, Vick. Before ish gets cannibal." She growled, swatting him away with their chained hands. The cuff knocked off Vick's goggles and sent them onto the forest floor.

"You could at least get those." Vick sighed. Hunter, deciding to be charitable, (a one-time gesture, she was sure) climbed out of the picnic table to retrieve his goggles. Her right arm was pulled back, hovering over her waistline. When she bent over to scoop them up Vick saw the lace of her black thong, barely peeking over the yellow fabric. Without rational thought Vick grabbed the lace, pulled it back, and snapped it. The underwear left a welt across her lower back and Hunter wheeled on him.

"YOU'RE DEAD, TATTER!"

XXX

_"YOU'RE DEAD, TATTER!"_

Tarkov looked up from his crepe cookbook to see what the ex-soldier had done this time. He peeked out the tent to find Hunter crushing Vick's chest with her stiletto, slightly stooped due to her cuffed arm.

"Let…me…out!" Vick gasped.

"HUNTER!" Tarkov roared. She tore her fiery gaze from her prey and locked it onto Tarkov.

"WHAT?" She screeched. Her fingers were bent like claws and her jaw gritted with every yell.

"GET OFF THE PRIVATE!" He ordered.

"Oh, I'll get off the private," She spat. "But sadly, your orders pertained to the singular noun: private, meaning a low-ranking officer of an army or other armed service. I'm _not _getting off the plural."

"Wait, wha—" Vick broke off with a strangled grunt, for he felt four inches of stiletto shoe connect with his "privates." His breath came in short gasps, and his stomach began to roll. Tarkov, instead of reprimanding her, began laughing loudly.

"Ahh, you're forgetting the principle rule of war, private!" He boomed. "Protect your goods!"

With an extended finger Vick vomited.

XXX

**OKAY I HAVE TO END IT HERE. **

**Haha sorry but im out of ideas for nowww.**

**Reviews? Suggestions? **

**I know Mags and AC aren't in this chappie, but don't worry. They've got exciting crap in store ;P **

**LOVE, KATIE. **


	20. Reopening an Old Wound

**Okay! So there were some requests for battles, for **_**marriages, **_**and predictions about the sidxemilyxdaisuke love triangle. Are they true? We'll NEVER KNOW (at least in this chappie)**

**Thank you for the reviews, im hoping to hear all your feedback this time around.**

**I'm trying to update as quickly as possible—although AP exams and finals are right around the corner. **

**(So feel loved because im sacrificing good disciplined Environmental Science for this!) **

**Please send in requests, and enjoy!**

XXX

"What is it, Totodile?" Setsuna asked. The blue reptile bounced on its feet anxiously and began snapping at the nearby leaves. Its behavior had been erratic ever since they found a weird looking bag. It was black leather and looked like a purse. Branded into its side were three circles, lined across a single, large circle. The bag was hot to the touch, and Setsuna had recorded its data on her notepad, snapped a picture, and left the bag behind. Reiji's skin turned an odd tingling black wherever the bag touched his skin.

"What's happening?" The skin began to fester and small bumps rose through the black skin. Setsuna's eyes widened and she began to sway. The smell of charring flesh hit her nose, overriding her sensitive receptors, and made her pass out. She slumped onto the ground with a strained gasp.

After Reiji made sure Setsuna was unconscious, he began to work. He reached for his backpack as his black flesh began to smoke. He cried out as fresh oxygen kissed the open wound. It seemed to irritate the razed skin and only made the pain that much more intense. The black patches crept up his arm, the darkened pigment coursing through the veins in his bicep. He fumbled with the zipper on his pack and pulled out a vial of red liquid.

"Quick, Zubat!" He pleaded. His pokemon sunk its teeth into his arm and began biting off the dead skin. When the area was clean of the blackness (which had now adopted a belligerency unmatched by any disease) seconds later it crept back. Reiji yanked the cork stopped out with his teeth and doused his arm in the liquid. The red juices began battling the blackness, and within seconds no trace of the burns were visible. Reiji sighed in relief, rubbed his sore arm, and tried to rouse Setsuna.

Once she awoke Reiji denied the entire fiasco, and blamed her unconsciousness on her nodes. At times, when the sun got too hot or when Setsuna was overwhelmed, the nodes on her back would short circuit, causing a blackout. Setsuna seemed like she believed him, and this was enough for Reiji.

"Anyway, we've gotta make it back to camp..." She hedged, indicating no desire to discuss the strange occurrence further. Setsuna and Reiji were the last to return to camp, and presented their completed backpack to Vick. He had been unchained to Hunter, and was lying belly up on a picnic table. A large bag of ice rested on his crotch, and at the sight of them Setsuna's eyes widened.

"Good job, campers. Eight more hours to go." His voice was oddly high, yet still held the normal rasp of his deep tenor. Reiji offered to get Vick a Gatorade and he gratefully accepted the offer. Setsuna, who now had the chance to retrieve her laptop, opened its screen and inputted data into her database. She was completely distracted as Reiji emptied yet another vial of the odd red liquid into the Fruit Punch Gatorade he got for Vick.

The counselor downed the frosty drink in three gulps, noted an odd metallic flavor, but said nothing.

XXX

Merely two hours later Vick was up and walking (and flirting) again. Cameron wore earplugs around his colleague, trying anything to drown out the complaints from his pink-haired coworker.

"God, why won't she just go for me?" Or "She has no idea what she's missing!"

"Don't you have testicles to ice?" Cameron growled. Vick stared at him blankly.

"No, I drank some Gatorade and I feel awesome. So no, no cold balls." He smiled crookedly and Cameron shoved the plugs deeper into his ear cavity.

Tarkov was watching Daisuke complete the Sudoku books he had given him with ease.

"You're not as big of an idiot as I thought, Nakamura!" He growled, clapping the young ginger on the back. Daisuke seethed, gripping the stubby yellow pencil with all his might. It snapped in his clammy palm and left splinters in his skin.

"Dammit!" He shouted.

"NAKAMURA, WHAT IN THE HELL GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO CURSE, YOU SHIT MOUTHED LITT—"

"TARKOV!" He interjected. He wheeled with smoldering amber eyes and spat on Tarkov's cheek.

"TARKOV, _YOU_ SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP, _YOU___SET UP CAMP FOR THE DAY! _YOU_ GET TO SIT THERE SCARED WHILE I SCREAM AT YOUR FACE!" Daisuke roared. Tarkov stood abruptly and grabbed Daisuke by the collar of his shirt, lifting him off the ground.

"You, little maggot, will never raise your voice to a superior again. If you breath louder than a whisper, your sorry butt will be back in Veilstone city faster than you can _think_ about saying 'Sweet Arceus'." His hushed words were terrifying. Paired with his steely gray eyes, Daisuke felt his stomach turn in fear for the first time.

XXX

Cameron's phone buzzed in the pocket of his khakis. He pulled it from his pocket, checked the number, and nearly dropped it.

"Oh, god! Yanmega! Barricade the tent!" He shouted. Yanmega shot into the forest in search of wood. He threw the phone at Tarkov and sprinted after his companion. With a growl Tarkov unlocked himself from Daisuke, chained him to the table, and picked up the cell phone.

"General Tarkov speaking."

"_Nikolas! So nice to talk to you. Where is Cameron?" _ The female's voice was pleasing soprano.

"He's…currently unavailable, ma'am." He glanced at Cameron who was panicking even more. He wiped sweat from his brow and continued piling logs on top of each other. His sudden strength was surprising.

_"Well then. We will be there by dinner tonight. Save us some food, would you?" _ Tarkov agreed and clicked the "end" button. He tossed the phone back to his colleague and smiled.

"I see the rivalry hasn't changed, Torvenal."

Cameron growled under his breath as his impromptu shelter collapsed.

"More like a tyranny! She's a demon!"

"Yeah, yeah. And Hunter's a man." Tarkov replied. Hunter's shrill voice sliced through three octaves as she stormed out of the tent.

"I'M A MAN? DOES IT _LOOK_ LIKE IT?" She gestured to her body and Tarkov rolled his eyes.

"Simmer down, Hunter. Our coworkers are coming."

"Oh, are they? This should be interesting then!" She gave a smug smile to Cameron.

"You guys, _this isn't funny at all! _We are all in very real danger!"

The three counselors merely rolled their eyes in response.

XXX

"I really need a shower." Kai groaned. Her black hair stuck to her scalp with sweat, and her face felt oily and in need of some serious scrubbing.

"Okay." Riley agreed. His eager tone made Kai nervous. They ventured to the communal bathroom and Kai was almost about to undress when she turned to Riley.

"Don't peek. Or you're dead." She beamed and turned to the shower. She stepped inside and ripped the curtain closed. Riley's arm was yanked uncomfortably as Kai removed her clothes. She tossed them over the top of the shower and they landed in a small pile.

"Purple lace? Sexy." Riley smirked. Kai sighed and ignored the comment. After a while, (a long while, as Kai was an affectionate fan of long showers) Riley became bored. The hand that was in the shower was more than capable of touching Kai. But he decided his nether regions didn't need a beating. He would get his chance. Instead Riley took his free hand and grabbed the edge of the shower curtain. Kai was busy singing softly and didn't notice the curtain move. Just as he was about to peek around its edge a white light shone from Kai's jeans. Her Houndoom had leapt from its pokeball and tackled Riley right out of the chair he was seated in. Because his hand was chained securely to Kai's, she was dragged out of the shower with a shriek. Houndoom pinned Riley to the floor as Kai desperately clawed towards her towel.

"COVER YOUR EYES!" She trilled, slapping her soapy fingers over Riley's hazel eyes. The lavender-scented bubbles seeped into his corneas and they began to burn. Riley quickly tore her hand from his face and sprinted into the shower. With both hands he scrubbed his face and his eyes, rinsing the sweet-smelling soap out. After the burning subsided, Kai apologetically shut off the water and touched his face. Houndoom put his muzzle in the curtain, and in his jaws were two towels. Kai grabbed the first and secured it around her torso, and handed the second to Riley.

"Houndoom, don't you ever do that again!" Kai scolded. Houndoom stuck his pointed tail between his legs and whined.

"I know you were trying to be helpful but we ended up hurting Riley. That's a no-no!" With that she recalled her overprotective pokemon.

"Sorry, Ry." She laughed. The older boy rolled his eyes, ran a free hand over the knot in his hair, and smiled back.

XXX

At dinner that evening steak was served. It was a welcoming meal to the ravenous campers, having only survived on what little food was in the pack and whatever they could find in the forest.

Hiro, detesting the red meat, politely declined and instead piled pasta onto his plate. He sat at a table where Magden and AC were seated. The lighting in the mess hall was low, and even in the dimness AC's face and neck were aglow. He was staring at Magden's plate of untouched food.

"Why aren't you eating?" He whispered. Magden didn't look up and shrug. AC sighed, annoyed, and returned to his steak. After a few seconds of awkward silence Hiro pulled out a small leather book and began to read. Jolteon was curled at his feet, bored, and decided that the electrical socket on the southern wall was more interesting. He reached the socket and began to lick it.

"Jolt, where'd you go? Dammit, Jolt! You're gonna—" Hiro's words were cut short just as the lights were. The hall was cast into darkness and the only light came from Jolteon, who was currently teeming with electricity, and AC, whose marks made his entire body glow. Magden touched his marks tentatively, running her dark fingers from his brows to his cheeks. Wherever her touch went the marks shone red.

"What the hell?" Jolteon, confusing the glow for electricity, quickly trotted to the couple. He extended an electrified paw to Magden's knee and the contact shocked them instantly. The current ran through Magden's body, and into AC's marks. The current made the marks brilliant, blinding, and this white light was transferred back into Magden's nervous system. She slumped against the table and her arm fell limp. Jolteon, realizing he "did wrong" walked back to his master with his stubby tail between his legs.

Cameron managed to hotwire the fuse box and Hunter took to Magden's side. With slender fingers she gingerly picked up Magden's head and almost dropped it when her face was visible. Much like the marks that graced AC's face, a collection of red swirls twisted delicately around her brows. They pulsed with light in time with her heartbeat. Her eyes slowly fluttered and her eyes opened, revealing a matching pair of red irises.

"BLOODY HELL! MAGGIE'S GOT RED LAMPS!" Johnny roared. Cameron shoved the British boy out of the way and pulled out a notepad.

"A transfer of cosmic energy, originally transferred by a legendary celestial being, catalyzed by the shock of a supercharged electric pokemon! Fascinating!" He gushed, jotting down note after note with deadly speed.

"What's fascinating, Cameron?" A voice carried from the entrance to the mess hall. Every syllable was a sharp soprano, a voice that was both pleasing to the ear yet fear-instilling.

Cameron gasped. It was a wet, choking sound that trapped the breath in his throat. He dropped his ballpoint pen and its crash to the floor was audible to all ears. The room had been stunned into silence.

The woman strode into the hall, flanked by a Zangoose. Kame automatically scrambled for Hiro's hand, and did not relax until the cool touch of his fingers squeezed her palm.

Her hair was ice white, short, and reached the curve of her chin. From behind her white bangs two pale blue eyes seemed to bore holes into her rival's head. Beads of sweat formed on his brow, he dreaded this reunion more than he dreaded an undeserved beating from Hunter. Vick adored the idea of setting up his coworker. Cameron thought he could avoid falling for it every time, but sadly, his kind nature prevented these presentiments. The woman was slender, with pale skin and an air about her that screamed assassin. She was dressed oddly for the occupation of a counselor, but it was unofficially decided that if she were dressed any other way, she wouldn't be threatening in the least.

She wore a tight sapphire corset top, and beneath it was a low cut, long-sleeved red shirt. Her skirt was short and pleated, with a black hue that rivaled the night. Reaching her mid-thigh were striped black and white socks, and the aforementioned socks disappeared into polished black combat boots. Around her peach-colored neck was a teal cat collar. Strapped to her back was an enormous katana. Her Zangoose, later known as Ricochet, sat calmly at her hip with soft red eyes.

"Did I stutter, Torvenal? What's fascinatin—oh! What lovely marks you've got, darling. Which pokemon touched you?" She gracefully walked to Magden and shoved Cameron aside with one hand. He crashed to the floor and knocked the cup of coffee out of Yanmega's grasp. The giant dragonfly was weeping on the dark stain his drink became.

"No one…touched me…" She breathed. Magden clutched her head in pain—it seemed as if her brain was filled with poisonous gas.

"Interesting. So I'm guessing _you _were the one who was marked, then?" She pointed to AC and he nodded.

"Interesting." She repeated. The silence continued until Tarkov approached the woman.

"Everyone, say hello to our newest counselor, Melody Kirkland. She's one of the best fighters our platoon has seen, thirty confirmed kills in the Reverse World War, an aggressive spirit that stopped enemies in their tracks, and a fighting style that even Tatter couldn't match." Vick looked at his old comrade and winked, and Melody shot him a piercing glare.

"Melody, where did the other counselor go?" Hunter asked. Without looking she jabbed a thumb over her shoulder and towards the door. The glass swung open and in walked a tall, skinny man. His jeans were faded, tight, and his feet were covered in white converse. He wore a white t-shirt, hiding beneath a loose and open black shirt. A snarling Mightyena, later to be introduced as Shenzi, stalked in with her ears flat. He walked into the light and James cursed loudly.

"What the _fcuk_ are you doing here?" He shouted. Shane, James' older brother, only responded with a warm smile.

"Darrell let me take the summer off and now I'm counseling here, little bro." The whole room, except the counselors, gasped audibly. Kai decided to break the silence that followed.

"So you're his older brother, and that makes James your younger brother. Yet your counseling, so that makes James have to listen to you! And because you're here now..that means…" She broke off.

"EMBARASSING STORY TIME!"

James slapped his hand to his forehead and sighed in exasperation.

Did he need any more humiliation?

XXX

"Wow, thanks for embarrassing me in front of everyone, jerkoff." James growled, confronting his older brother after dinner had ended. Shane shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

"Forgot you were this hostile. When was the last time we talked normally?" Shane was only a few inches shorter than James, but he held his ground with his younger brother. James merely rolled his eyes and shook his head, averting his gaze.

"Why won't you look at me, Jimmy?" Using his childhood nickname only made James madder.

"You _know_ why!" He half-shouted. Shane's face fell as he sighed.

"Sooner or later you have to stop looking at the bad, and remember the good." He wiped tears from his emerald green eyes, the inheirited eyes of their mother, and walked to the counselor's building.

XXX

Cameron curled up in his beige-colored comforter and prayed that Melody was already asleep. Yanmega didn't seem too worried about Ricochet's or her master's presence, and was continually confused at Cameron's discontent. The dragonfly buzzed futilely and rolled over to sleep.

Cameron was wide awake, however, staring at the wooden beams that supported the cabin roof. He searched for pictures in the grain finish, but every picture was either of Melody or the Reverse World War. Terrible memories from both subjects.

Melody, whose sole passion in the universe was to make Cameron's life an absolute hell. She adored attacking him randomly, just to "see if he was in shape."

"Frustrating woman." He grumbled.

Melody had been lying in wait for her prey. Yanmega, who would undoubtedly notify his master of her presence, was sleeping like the dead. Cameron was a different story. She calculated her success rate of an attack and found the chances favorable. Melody removed her boots and padded silently across the wooden floor. There was little to no sound to betray the location of her movements, and for this she was thankful. Melody slowed her breathing and crouched at the foot of Cameron's bed, awaiting him to get up to use the restroom.

As if on cue, Cameron began muttering to himself about "the damned coffee Yanmega makes me drink" and kicked the covers off of his legs. He was clad in a white muscle shirt and baggy pajama pants, complete with a Caterpie pattern. The second his foot was within her grasp, Melody struck. Her hand darted for his ankle and hit the exact pressure points, causing Cameron to collapse. He rolled away quickly to avoid a jab to the neck.

"Damn you, Kirkland!" He shouted, diving hastily for her midsection. She sidestepped the attack and pivoted quickly, sinking her nails into his shoulder.

"Shall we take this to the bed?" She suggested, her voice becoming coated with sensuality. Cameron swallowed a huge lump in his throat and began stuttering. But before he could realize her intentions Melody picked Cameron up and tossed him onto his mattress, only to proceed in her beating.

Cameron's only defense was to stop her wrist with his left hand, twisting her right elbow around until it touched her shoulder. She grimaced at the contact but shook him off.

"Stop it, Melody! Can we please continue this tomorrow morning? I need some sleep!" He shoved her off of him and flopped down on the bed. Melody, shocked, terminated her assault and left the room haughtily.

Cameron glanced at the clock, groaned when it read 2 o'clock, and shut his eyes. Not twenty minutes had passed when all the lights were snapped on. Melody had a megaphone, and a small remote control in one hand. She lifted the phone to her lips and began shouting.

"TORVENAL! I THINK IT'S TIME FOR A LITTLE NIGHT LESSON!" She grabbed his pack, with his pokemon inside, and ran for the door. Yanmega shot from the sheets and into the counseling building's hallway, his master in close pursuit. Melody kicked open the door and sprinted at the other cabins, clicking the remote control in her left hand quickly. It must've controlled the cabin lighting, because the large windows were soon aglow.

"WAKE UP, CAMPERS! TO THE BATTLEGROUNDS!" She screamed, pulling a pokeball from her belt and tossing it in the air. Ichigo, her Charizard, flew low to the ground until Melody and Ricochet leapt aboard. Melody and Ichigo sailed north, up a small ridge and to the battle field. When everyone had caught up and assembled in the bleachers, Melody tossed Cameron's bag in the middle of the ring.

"You. Me. We're settling this." She growled. Cameron, keeping his eyes on his rival the entire time, snatched his bag before melody could strike. Tarkov cleared his throat loudly, straightened his wifebeater and raised a hand.

"I'll act as referee. Tag battle, two on two! Let's go."

"Way ahead of you, Nikki. Richochet, let's go! You too, Cuddy!" Ricochet leapt into the ring and crouched low, her red-and-white fur brushing against the surface of the clearing. Cuddy, a female Luxray, sprung from her pokeball with a vicious growl. Yanmega didn't need to be prompted into the ring, he buzzed over the arena with surprising speed. From his recently retrieved pack Cameron summoned Mamoswine. The large boar dug his tusks into the soft earth and flared his nostrils.

"All right, then. Ricochet, you know what to do. Cuddy, use thunderbolt!" Ricochet began darting at blurring speeds, coming in and out of focus from time to time. Cuddy began using the energy exerted from her partner to charge the electrons on her body. Soon a loud crackling sound was audible, and thousands of volts of electricity danced through the fur of Melody's Luxray. Cuddy opened her mouth, and sparks fell from her jaws in a cascade of power. Cuddy shot the bolts towards Mamoswine, the weaker and slow-moving target. The electricity hit Mamoswine square in the snout, and following closely after the blast was Ricochet, landing a crush claw on Mamoswine's thick skull. The enormous beast staggered from the force, but kept his footing.

"Shake it off, Mamoswine! Yanmega, let's use Glacial Blast!"

Yanmega, beating his wings fervently, began generating power to prepare an Air Slash. Mamoswine, recognizing the attack, dropped the temperature thirty degrees and charged for a Blizzard strike. Mamoswine shot the icy flurries at Yanmega, which supercharged the Air Slash he was stifling. Yanmega, charged with power and ice, released the blast at lightning speed. The icy Air Slash hit Ricochet's weak spot and ended up freezing the Zangoose.

"No, Ricochet! Melt, Melt!" She commanded. Cuddy growled at the sight of her partner and crouched to attack, ears flat against her head.

"Volt tackle, Cuddy!"

"Take her out with Steel Wing, Mega!" Cuddy and Yanmega clashed, midair, in a shock of brilliance. Cuddy slammed into the ground with multiple cuts, electricity running through the open wounds and causing sparks to fly. Yanmega was thrown into the branches of a tree, where his tired wings were tangled in brambles. Mamoswine charged once more at his fallen opponent.

"Roll out of the way, Cuddy! You've got it!" Cuddy didn't move fast enough. She was trampled by Mamoswine's stomp.

"Ha! Cuddy's out and Ricochet's frozen! What're you gonna do, Kirk?"

"DON'T CALL ME KIRK, CAMMIE!" She shrieked. At the pierce of her voice Ricochet broke her icy prison and shook the crystals from her fur, growling deep in the back of her throat.

"We've got once chance, Rico! Use quick—"

A tremendous roar shook the forest, completely drowning out Melody's command. Something was barreling towards the battleground, knocking down ancient trees as if they were matchsticks.

When the beast burst through the brush, Kame screamed.

"WHAT IS THAT THING?"

XXX

**A/N: **

**Some counseling people. **

**Counseling Chappie.**

**REVIEW. **


	21. A New Phase and Tempers Ablaze!

**Hello beauties.**

**Here's chapter 21. CHAPTER 21. Wow. I'm so thankful that you all read my little story and thank you for creating characters that are so easy to put into drastic situations. **

**It's because of yall that this story is alive!**

**Hiro's underwear: **www. uniquedaily. com /tuxedo –boxer –brief (remove spaces!)

**XXX**

"Does trouble just flock to us? Like some sick flock of Pidgey?" Riley shrieked, leaping behind Kai and covering his eyes. Kai snorted and punched him in the ribs.

"Baby. You know maybe if you acted like a ma—"

Her words were cut short by another roar. It was low, guttural, and grated the air like broken glass. Melody crouched silently, left hand reaching to unsheathe the enormous katana on her back. Its sharp blade slid noiselessly from its cover and she poised to strike. Cuddy and Ricochet fell in formation with their master.

Mamoswine decided to take cover behind a thin sapling, completely visible to anyone with functioning eyes and half of a functioning brain. His movements only caused more noise and Yanmega slapped a feeler to his forehead in exasperation. Cameron turned sideways towards the sound and braced for the attack, making himself a smaller target. The beast roared again, knocked down an oak or two, and burst from the forest. It tumbled from the brush and rolled back to its feet.

The beast was around 5 feet tall, with terrible claws and a long snout. It was a bipedal, fox-like pokemon, with a charcoal-colored body and large tufts of fur sprouting from its head. The reddish mane cascaded down its muscled back and looked as if it were secured with a teal bangle. Its arms were thin from shoulder to elbow, but more muscle tone was evident in its forearms. Its teal eyes burned brightly in the moonlight, and soon it caught sight of the campers.

"That's a pokemon!" Vick shouted. Hunter rolled her eyes.

"Way to go, captain obvious! Saving the day once more, I see!" She stood from her seat to try and herd the campers away from the beast—but before she could move another muscle the pokemon hissed. The sound was like hot air escaping from a balloon—a sound that could rival the warning of the most poisonous Arbok. Hunter froze and Vick slowly pulled her back down.

"Do we fight it?" Cameron whispered to Yanmega. Yanmega shrugged from his position, unsure of how to approach this new breed of pokemon. Melody reached for an empty ultra ball on her belt.

"I'm catching it." She clicked her tongue and Cuddy, though hesitant, crouched into pouncing stance. She snapped her fingers and Melody sprung into action. She feinted toward the fox-like creature with her katana in her left hand and an ultra ball clutched in her right. Cuddy burrowed underground and Ricochet stayed topside with Melody.

Simultaneously, Cameron released Heatran and barked orders to Yanmega. The unknown pokemon shrieked a howl of rage and jammed its red claws into the earth, hurtling enormous boulders at its oncoming assailants. Melody arced gracefully over the first, pivoted and missed the second, and sliced the third clean in half with a stroke of her katana. Cameron's jaw dropped in disbelief. Before he could utter another slew of curses at her he ran smack dab into a young trainer. She must have emerged from the forest because Cameron noticed that she wasn't one of the usual brats catting around the camp, and the last time he checked it didn't rain young girls with semi-long dark green hair. She slammed to the ground with audible complaints.

Cameron sprung back up, unclipped a rope from his belt, and broke into a sprint.

"Have fun catching that with a rope!" Melody jeered.

"Funny you should say that, Melody," Cameron began, leaping past a boulder that missed him by inches. "Because the pokemon isn't my target!"

He flicked his wrists out and the rope snapped towards Melody with an audible _crack! _The thick twine struck like a snake, coiling around Melody's right ankle and pulling taut. Cameron's rival crashed in a tangle of limbs and rope with an outraged howl. Cameron then approached the pokemon and engaged it in battle. After some intense attacks from Yanmega and a flash cannon from Heatran, the new pokemon was swaying on its clawed feet. Cameron flung an ultra ball at the pokemon at it disappeared into its depths in a flash of red light.

"HAH! SUCK ON THAT, MELODY! I JUST CAUGHT THIS UNKNOWN POKEMON, AND YOU'RE SITTING IN A PILE OF THREADS!" He danced around his coworker as she growled in her throat. Cameron, ignoring her death threats, casually called out his new pokemon. It laid on the floor in a large mass of black-and-red fur. It looked up at Cameron with teal eyes and sat on its haunches. Cameron held up his pokedex, not expecting the computer to recognize this beast. Nick Spectra scoffed and walked next to his counselor.

"That's a Zoroark." He supplied, crouching to pet the beast's silky fur.

"What the hell's a Zoroark?" Tarkov asked.

"It's a pokemon from a far away region." The girl who had been bowled over earlier stood up, accompanied by a boy with shaggy brown hair. Tarkov, feeling hungry, associated the boy's hair color with dark chocolate. The girl's emerald green hair was tied in two straight ponytails at her temples. Wrapped around the hair were pink ribbons. Her eyes matched her hair immaculately. The boy's eyes were an icy, crystalline blue, and he walked with an air of authority.

"What far region?" Vick asked. The girl shrugged and pulled a sketch from her pocket.

"We're not sure. We're from Canalave City." She handed the drawing to Vick and he glanced to Cameron's Zoroark.

"Looks the same." He decided. Cameron looked to his new Zoroark and asked, "Are you a Zoroark?"

The exotic beast nodded its head once.

"Are you male?" He asked. The beast nodded once more and rose to his full height.

"Well, welcome to the club." With a smug smile Cameron shook hands with the newest addition to his team.

XXX

"Adrianne Montdor?" Hunter asked skeptically. The girl nodded and reached up to adjust her ribbons. She was wearing a light yellow t-shirt with the words "I Heart Canalave" across the front. A brass studded belt kept her dark denim shorts secured to her skinny frame. On her thin legs were old motorcycle boots, which looked as if they could've been black once. Now they were a dull faded grey. In her well-manicured hand was a large red clutch with a large red bow, and it was later revealed that that was where she kept her pokemon.

"And I'm Skyler Court. We were the missing campers at the checkpoint in Goldenrod City." He supplied, brushing his chocolate colored bangs from his eyes. He looked around fifteen, just like Adrianne, and stood at an average height. (like almost every boy in this fic) He was skinny, wearing a tight black t-shirt and medium wash jeans. All of his belongings were kept in a blue backpack on his back, and on his feet were grey and red vans.

"Well, they _are_ registered with the camp…" Hunter trailed off.

"Where did you even come from?" Riley blurted, asking the question everyone wanted answered.

"We've been camping out here for a while now—we figured that you all would show up sooner or later. What attracted us tonight was the Zoroark. He tore through our camp and we followed it because it took some of our food."

"Interesting. Well everyone, meet Adrianne Montdor and Skyler Court! Let's get back to camp before the sun comes up. We've got a long day ahead of us." Vick said. The group trudged back through the forest and into their warm cabins, falling gratefully into their beds for a two hour rest.

XXX

"GOOD MORNING AGAIN, CAMPERS!" After Melody's recent discovery of Tarkov's megaphone, the task of waking up the campers had been relinquished to her. Wiping sleep from their eyes and yawning profusely, the campers lined up for the day's directions.

"It's a glorious day, isn't it?" Melody stared straight into the rising sun and the light made her white-blond hair shine brilliantly. She and Ricochet were on a large boulder above the camp. Tarkov and Hunter stood below them, arms crossed, and Vick was off to the side with Cameron. Yanmega was taking his morning patrol around the camp's perimeter.

"As you all know, we'll be packing up and leaving for Hoenn in a week," Hunter began. "So this week will be the toughest week of the entire camp. Consider it a sort of hell week, if you will." A deviant grin had stretched her face into a wicked caricature of what it used to be.

"I don't like this," Alex whispered. "She seems crazier than usual." Mark gulped and looked at Sarah, who had taken cover behind Mark's left leg.

"Every day will be an alternating schedule. Odd days, your pokemon spend free time to themselves. On even days, your challenges will include your pokemon. And guess what today is?" Vick grinned.

"Monday." Everyone groaned.

"DO I HEAR COMPLAINING?" Tarkov roared. "BECAUSE IF SO, WE CAN SKIP OUT ON POKEMON CHALLENGES ALTOGETHER. IF NOT, GET YOUR PATHETIC BODIES DOWN TO THE CLEARING!"

XXX

"M-mud wr-r-rest-l-lingg-g?" Talia choked. Mud was her weakness, along with all the other disgusting atrocities like garbage, grease, and mold. She stared at the enormous pit with tear-filled eyes.

"Welcome to the party, maggots!" Tarkov barked. He had removed his combat boots and rolled his camouflage pants to the knee. His calves were muscled and lean, and his feet looked light and agile. He switched his usual white t-shirt for a black muscle tank. Hunter had changed her appearance as well. Her usual yellow sports bra was replaced with a black one, and her legs were sheathed in black spandex. Her green hair was woven tightly to her head. Vick was in a speedo, goggles on, and mouth smiling. Melody and Cameron were acting as judges.

"This is more than I bargained for." Daisuke growled, pseudo-barfing in a nearby bush. Emily giggled softly and Sid gripped his studded crutches tightly.

"Relax, mate." Johnny whispered. "The ginger's not worth it." Sid rolled his eyes and ignored him. While he was trying to assuage his friend, Nick took the opportunity to pull Reina away. He dragged her behind a tree and looked her in the eye.

"Hello, beautiful. Fancy meeting you here." He breathed, taking a hand and cupping her neck. Her brown hair cascaded over his forearm and tickled his elbow, making him shift slightly.

"You dragged me here, idiot." She hissed back. Reina took a worried glance over her shoulder—had they not noticed their absence? "Why did you pull me away?" She demanded.

"Testy, testy!" He smiled crookedly and Reina rolled her eyes.

"That wasn't an explanation." She said flatly. Nick sighed deeply and looked in her eyes once more.

"Do you need an explanation for sheer attraction?" Before she could interject he enveloped her mouth with a kiss. Reina expected the gesture to be rough and unforgiving, but to her surprise it was soft and passionate. At that point Reina realized what was happening and stopped kissing back.

"What the hell are ya doin'?" An accented voice growled. Reina looked up to meet the enraged eyes of Johnny.

"Making out." Nick smirked. A devilish gleam had glazed over his eyes, and Johnny's brown gaze became fiery.

"Stop touchin' 'er!" He shouted. Nick didn't break eye contact and leaned back to Reina for another kiss. This was the breaking point. Reina slapped Nick and stormed back to the group, and Johnny leapt for Nick's throat. The two rolled around the forest floor, and Johnny seemed to be the current victor. His fingers were locked around Nick's neck and he was slamming his head into a root. Nick clamped his teeth onto Johnny's other finger until blood was drawn. He pulled back with a howl of pain and curled his hand into a fist.

"Consider this a gift from the Queen of Bloody England." He spat at his head. Johnny swung but his fist was caught in one of Tarkov's meaty hands.

"IF YOU'RE GOING TO FIGHT DO IT IN THE PIT, DAMN YOU!" He screamed. He picked up both teens and dragged them to the edge of the wrestling area, commanding them to remove their shoes. Johnny kicked off his keds with a scowl and Nick unlaced his trainers slowly. Once they were standing at attention Tarkov planted a palm on each of their backs and shoved them in the mud. When the slimy substance hit their skin Johnny leapt onto Nick once more.

"Should we regulate? At all?" Hunter interjected, beginning to go into mom mode. She didn't want anything to go too far. Melody laughed at the bloodshed and shook her head. "If we stop them all of the entertainment will be gone!"

"Not true, Kirk." Cameron said, "We're gonna have multiple fights."

"Okay, well we need to regulate." Hunter was adamant now, and leapt into the pit to separate the two screaming boys. Johnny was shouting streams of profanity and Nick kept spitting blood between his insults.

"TIME OUT!" Vick roared. Hunter gave the duty of calming them down to her perverse pink haired counselor and turned back to the crowd.

"Everyone, please line up, boys on my left, girls on my right! Shortest to tallest! Each winner will be exempt from the next physical challenge!" Kai rolled up her shorts and pulled back her short hair into a tiny tail on the crown of her head.

"Who wants some?" She challenged. Riley immediately ripped off his flannel, stripped off his jeans and ran into the pit. "You know I do, babydoll." With a wink, he took a handful of mud and hurtled it at his opponent. It hit Kai square in the face and the brown substance caked onto her pale skin. Two violet eyes glared from behind the gunk and she spat out some dirt.

"Ohh, Kaiya, you're a dirty girl…" He jeered, bending over to scoop up another mudball. Kai tackled Riley and chaos ensued. Setsuna turned on her webcam and opted to document the entire challenge, while Reiji pushed James in suddenly. He landed facedown in the pit and started growling under his breath.

"Effing…idiot!" He swept out Reiji's legs and began pulling his hair. Reiji merely laughed and responded by throwing more mud into James' eyes. Hiro, eager to join, shimmied out of his skinnies, revealing black boxerbriefs that were designed to look like a tuxedo. He then peeled off his v-neck and smiled at Kame.

"Oh yeah. This is happening." Kame blushed deeply and looked away. When he walked past her Kame snuck a peek at his backside.

"He's got a _nice_ ass." Reina sighed. Her long brown hair was braided twice, weaving up her head and twisting at the crown. Kame, shocked, looked at her with an expression of disbelief.

"Do you like him?" She asked suddenly, unaware that her mouth had opened at all until Reina responded.

"Hiro and I go _way _back. I've always liked him, I mean, who wouldn't?" She smiled subconsciously as the object of Kame's affection headbutted Mark. Kame felt her stomach slam into her ankles. Reina was funny, confident, and downright_ beautiful._ How was Kame supposed to win the affections of the Taminama boy with Reina in the picture? Rare jealousy burned through Kame's heart as she jumped on Hiro's back. He caught her with ease, wrapping his arms around her slender thighs and leaning back into her neck.

It really sucked.

XXX

Berane and Talia snuck away from the madness and into the forest, taking a nice walk in the quiet afternoon. The trees were thinner in this part of the forest, and maneuvering through the brush here was almost effortless. Berane's gloved hands were entwined with Talia's delicate fingers, and the couple said nothing as they moved along.

Chatot sang in the trees, softly, and their soft melodies filled the spaces of silence easily. Talia's orange eyes found Berane's multicolored ones multiple times, and with each glance the blush on her cheeks deepened. The tall grass growing from the forest floor brushed the hem of Talia's white dress, which was a light summery thing with a floral pattern. Her fingers graced white rings whose metal was formed into flowers, tiny budding things that shone in the scarce sunlight. Berane wore black drainpipe jeans, a sturdy pair of shoes, and a crisp white shirt. His sleeves were rolled to the elbows, showing his tanned forearms underneath. He walked to Talia's left and slowed his stride to keep her in tow.

"Berane?" She asked suddenly. Her voice was soft, and carried to the boy's ears like a breeze. He replayed the sound in his head twice before he uttered a "Hm?"

"I've never asked you about your past…" The question hung heavy in the air.

"I've never talked about it.." Berane whispered. Talia stopped walking and looked up into Berane's face, searching for permission to continue.

"I know about the scar on your neck, Berane. I've seen it." She quietly admitted, reaching to run her index finger along the length of the gash. The silvery-looking skin was smooth to her touch and it caused Berane to shudder. This was way beyond what was comfortable for him. Talia, sensing his discontent, withdrew her hand quickly.

"No." He interjected, grasping her hand once more. "I have to get this out."

Talia's orange eyes widened and she waited for him to begin. Berane led her through a few more meters of forest until a flat boulder came into view. The couple settled themselves on the stone and Berane inhaled a few times to calm himself. Talia leaned into him, and he adjusted so her head was resting in the hollow of his throat. She felt his heartbeat thud against her neck and relaxed.

"To be honest, I've been diagnosed with a severe case of amnesia. Anything before the attack I can barely remember. I'm not even sure if Berane is my real name," His throat constricted, possibly swallowing a sob, but he soon continued. "The only things I remember are the screams. Apparently I lived in an orphanage on the outskirts of Sunnyshore. They said it was an electrical fire and that I was the sole survivor." He paused, reaching over Talia to unbutton his shirt. He pulled the material from his chest and down his arms until he sat before her, bare skin exposed. Talia saw the extent of the scar completely thrown into relief. It was red and silver, a cragged line running around his throat, down his back, and up over the top of his chest. Talia remained calm and ran her fingers over the scar again.

"Whenever I smell smoke, flashes of fire come across my mind. I see flames everywhere, and I hear their screams…I don't know why I was chosen to survive…why I was spared…why Caleb chose to save me…"

"Caleb saved you?" Talia asked in disbelief.

"Yes," He replied, "He was a Riolu back then, but I guess he must've busted me out. When they found me I was wandering around the ruins with Caleb. He wouldn't let anybody touch me until he was positive they wouldn't hurt me. We've been inseparable ever since." As if Caleb had been summoned, a bright light flashed from the belt of Berane. The shiny Lucario burst from his pokeball and bowed before his best friend.

"Can't Caleb use Telepathy? He can tell you what happened!" Talia said. A look of excitement and fear stole across the boy's face, did he really want to know what happened that day? He looked to his best friend and Caleb gave him a look that clearly asked for permission to continue.

"I want to know." Berane whispered. The Lucario nodded and focused his aura.

"That day was a dark day…" He began. Talia leaned back into Berane's bare chest and relished in the warm feel of it. It smelled clean was smooth on her back. She listened to Caleb retell his story, finding surprise in the tone of Caleb's voice. It was deep and sounded all-knowing.

"I smelled smoke from the forest. It smelled wrong, toxic, so I decided to follow it. I came across the orphanage that had fed me a few times and was shocked to find it aflame. I could hear the screams and feel the auras of the trapped people. They were terrible feelings. I felt the auras fade, one by one, until the last remained."

"Berane's." Talia supplied. Caleb nodded and spoke again. "His was the strongest, brightest, and the only one left. I ran inside and followed the aura until I found him. A support beam was about to fall when I dove for him. The floorboards below us had been reduced to matchstick and nails." He looked to Berane now. "One nail split your skin and formed the scar on your body. I tackled you out of the way of the beam and in doing so we fell through the floor and into the basement. That's where your injuries occurred. You slammed your head on the concrete floor and fell unconscious. This is probably how you lost your memories, Berane." Once Caleb had finished his tale, Berane was silent. It looked as if he were concentrating, trying to remember what he had inadvertently forgotten.

"Return, Caleb." He finally sighed, pulling the pokeball from his belt and calling back his friend. His hand dropped to his side and he stared into nothing.

XXX

After an hour or so of gruesome wrestling, the C.C. washed off in a nearby river. Many sighed in relief as the caked filth was washed from their bodies. When they were finished they went back to camp for some down time before Cameron's next lesson. Vick prepared lunch (to everyone's delight) and on the menu were enormous quesadillas. Stuffed inside were pieces of chicken, peppers, onion, beans, cheese, and tomatoes. The weather was warm and dry, lacking the normal humidity the forest usually held.

Alex and Mark were building an enormous card house on one of the picnic benches, screaming in disappointment whenever the tower would topple. Johnny was having a serious talk with Sid, prattling away in heavily accented English over the sound of their strumming guitars. Nick was taking apart a disposable camera, probably to fashion an explosive of some sort. Reina had taken to sun tanning in a rare sliver of sunlight, making quite sure that she was within Hiro's line of vision. Kame, noticing this, took to her favorite treat (chocolate) and shared it with her Vulpix. Setsuna was inputting all of her data from the week into a processing program that almost instantly sorted each item into its appropriate category. Reiji, on the other hand, was playing an intense game of Shogi with Daisuke. Emily was working on weaving some friendship bracelets out of twine and thread, and Talia was practicing some pokemon coordinating routines with Berane. Venice was brushing dust out of Cait's fur, and James was whittling a small figure out of a chunk of wood he found in the forest. His sharp pocket knife moved skillfully, shearing slivers of wood as if they were made of paper. Skyler and Adrianne were getting the rundown of C.C. life from Tarkov and Hunter, while Vick, Melody, and Cameron were cleaning up camp. Shane rose from the novel he was reading and approached Venice calmly.

"We need to talk." The sudden declaration made Venice's eyes widen in confusion. She looked around, anxious to see if anyone had witnessed the exchange, but to her relief everyone was engrossed in their own activities. Venice called Cait into her pokeball and followed Shane into the forest, keeping a mindful distance from her new counselor.

"We need to talk," He began. "About my brother."

"Why are you talking to me about him though?" Venice feigned naivety but this was easily struck away.

"Really, Venice? I see him look at you. You don't understand how it looks to me, but James has never cared for anyone besides his family as much as he does for you. And it doesn't help that you're always touching him." His voice became playful and Venice couldn't stop the smile that crept across her face.

"Have you talked to him about me?" She asked. Shane responded with a laugh.

"He would kill me if I discussed girls with him. He's very touchy about that subject. He acts as if he's nonchalant about everything. Cold. Isolated. But he honestly is just a newbie to all of this. You've really thrown him for a loop. He's never acted this way." Venice shrugged and looked into Shane's eyes.

"This is random, but you have the same colored eyes as me!" She half-shouted. Shane chuckled and replied, "That's one of the reasons James has issues with me. Or anyone with green eyes really. It's because our eye color reminds him of—"

"Your mother. I know. He told me."

Shane raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"Then you must be one helluva special girl." Blushing slightly, Venice thanked him and the two began their way back to camp.

Xxx


	22. Ringing in Despair

**PLEASE READ THE A/N:**

**SCHOOL IS OUT! **

**Here's Chapter 22! **

**CHECK OUT THE FORUMS: Go vote/suggest for the official C.C. Themesong! **

**OKAY AND YOU BETTER READ/REVIEW THIS AWESOME SHIZNAT:**

**.net/**** s / 5985518 / 1 / Permanent (remove spaces) **

_**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW IMAGINATION DOMINATION'S ONESHOT: IT HELPS EXPLAIN JESSICA/TYLER'S DEATHS PERFECTLY. SO AMAZING. 3**_

**xxx**

"There's _still _mud in my ears." Kai jammed her pinkie into her left lobe and dug out more dirt. Kai had swept the mud wrestling competition, pinning Riley in a minute and AC in five. The finale was between Kai and Nick, and the boy's downfall ended up being one thing: his ticklish stomach. It took one brush of Kai's mud-stained fingers to get Nick to drop instantly, unable to breathe from the uncontrollable laughter. The boy's tough exterior now tarnished, many members of the camp enjoyed tormenting Nick whenever they could. Due to Kai's victory, she and her pokemon were exempt from the pokemon challenge for that day. Hunter and Melody took Kai for a well-deserved day at Goldenrod City's largest spa. They kicked off into the summer sky on the back of Ichigo, Melody's Charizard, and Hunter's Tropius. Tarkov waved them goodbye with a rare smile.

XXX

"As you all know, your inferiority and general failures in life have prevented you from spending a day with our female counselors." Some campers blinked, surprised that Tarkov wasn't yelling the slew of insults at the top of his lungs

"Today we will not only be challenging your ability as a trainer, but we will be assessing the training style that has molded your pokemon. We're looking for finesse, tact, strategy, and cooperation." Cameron said. Yanmega silently flitted down from a nearby tree to steal the cup of coffee in his master's hand. Sensing this, Cameron moved his hand slightly to the left. Yanmega barreled into a mossy log.

"Case and point—you and your pokemon must be able to anticipate the unseen." With a cajoling laugh he pointed at his trusted pokemon and began to poke his crumpled body. The giant dragonfly buzzed angrily and slapped the coffee out of his master's hand. Cameron could only stand with his mouth agape as the coffee seeped into the mossy earth. Vick rolled his eyes and sighed.

_"They can be as immature as me sometimes." _He thought.

XXX

"I see you've had your eye on the Hansen boy." Hunter declared, removing her hiking heels and replacing them with the provided slippers the spa gave out. Kai, whose mouth opened at the audacity of the statement, began stammering.

"N-n-o I haven't-t-t!" She blushed and cursed her stutter. Melody laughed softly.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, we're not your mother or anything." She assured her. Kai's embarrassment began to fade as she changed into a white fluffy robe. Changing the subject, Kai began speaking.

"Thank you for taking me here. I appreciate it." Kai bowed slightly and Hunter waved a carefree hand.

"You earned it. I've never seen a girl mud wrestle like you can." The three C.C. girls stepped into spa chairs for facials and a nice pedicure. Across the spa, a familiar tangle of curly brown hair peeked up from the herbal mud pit. Spotting Hunter's hair from a mile away, Sari quickly slicked back her hair into a high bun, wrapping it in a head towel. She took the avocado mask from a nearby table and slathered it on, obscuring her identity. She slipped back into the black mud, sighing automatically as it formed around her body. On the lip of the pool behind her, a small red device buzzed angrily. Sari sighed and reached up for it without looking. She checked the number and answered.

"What do you want?" She growled.

_"Meissa, have they fallen for the bait?" _Betelgeuse's voice was less threatening over the phone, so Sari was terse in her responses to appear tough.

"Yes, they're here. They're gonna be in the sauna. I've messed with the steam vents. We'll have our next three in a matter of five minutes." Sari quickly nudged the can of Kolokol-1 back into her canvas bag with her left elbow.

"_Excellent work, Meissa. Maybe you and your little wolf boy can keep your lives after all…" _He chuckled; his voice deep and sinister. Even over the phone his tone gave her a shiver that whipped down her spine. She hated it.

"I've got Aaron and Grim waiting on the roof. Sev is gonna help me drag them out." She breathed, cupping her hand over the receiver as a spa attendee walked by. Betelgeuse voiced his approval and ended the call. Sari threw the phone back into the bag and rose out of the mud. The black liquid sheathed her toned body like leather, dripping down her caramel colored skin and running through her toes on the marble floor. She left muddy footprints in a trail to the shower. She pulled back the first curtain and stepped into the stall, turning the hot faucet to full capacity. The scalding water pulled away the herbal mud and left her skin fresh and raw. She kept a close watch on Hunter, Melody, and Kai as they were getting facials. After they were sufficiently scrubbed they began their walk toward the sauna. Sari dressed quickly as an attendee, throwing on a blonde wig and applying copious amounts of red lipstick. The last element of her disguise was a pair of rose-colored glasses that she slipped onto her angular nose.

The three C.C. women walked into the sauna, sighing involuntarily at the warm ,wet air. Hunter sat on an upper tier of the wooden benches, laying on a towel and piling her green hair high on her head. Melody preferred the tile floor, stretching out beside the steamer. Kai sat up on the middle bench, clipping her short hair to her head as the sweat made it stick. Outside of the sauna, Sari opened the control box, popping off the plastic wire covers and braiding the circuitry intricately. She then stuffed the wires into a small remote control she pulled from her waist pocket.

"And so we go." She whispered, pushing the yellow button on the remote.

XXX

"Before any of these competitions ensue, we're moving camp. Out of Ilex forest and into a different part of Johto!" Shane announced. The campers groaned at the thought of breaking down camp, but these sounds of discontent were ignored.

"If we work together, it'll be done faster…" Vick said in a sing-song voice. He released Duke and Grant to help him unstring the lights over the base of the camp. Cameron and Yanmega, assisted by Shane and Shenzi, dismantled the makeshift kitchen and fire pit, stacking the durable cookware in the steel boxes they came in. Once the bus was completely full and all trash was swept away, Cameron turned the keys to the bus. The engine roared to life and they began their trek to their newest destination: Johto National Park.

"It lies to the north of Goldenrod," Vick began. "Between Route 35 and Route 36. There's a—"

"BUG CATCHING CONTEST THAT TAKES PLACE EVERY TUESDAY!" Cameron interjected excitedly.

The campers rolled their eyes and sighed almost in unison—their counselor's obsession with bugs was getting old.

"—Yes. A bug catching contest. But there is where our first pokemon exercise will take place!"

The bus ride was a little over an hour and soon the camp was in the open plains of Johto National Park. The area was huge, grassy, and fresh with life. In the eastern region of the camp was the forest where the bug contest was held, and adjacent to the forest was the infamous Pokeathalon Dome. To the west was a small lake, surrounded by miles of open fields and campsites. Overall , the place was close to outdoor paradise. A campground with nine or ten log cabins was available for use, and unpacking took a mere twenty minutes due to everyone's anticipation for the contest. A quick lunch of sandwiches and fresh watermelon satiated the group before Tarkov began the competition.

"Okay you worthless brats," he growled. "Just over the hill is where your slaughter begins." With nervous glances and hesitancy, the campers followed their counselors over the mossy incline. Over the peak was the ultimate setup for a Pokeringer competition. Hot air balloons of all shapes and sizes hovered above the ground, tethered with chains and miles of rope. Dangling from the baskets of the balloons were shining rubber rings, colored pink and blue and orange and green.

"YES! PREPARE TO BE DOMINATED!" Cameron shrieked, high-fiving Yanmega enthusiastically.

"Oh, no you don't!" Tarkov interjected. "you're judging."

"Yeah, you're right. Five year Crossgate Town Champion versus inexperienced campers, half of which do not own flying types? Slaughter." He shook his head in mock pity and moved off to the side.

"The rules of the game are simple," Shane said, releasing Sky, an enormous Fearow. "There are ten rings suspended over the playing field. Usually there are only one or two rings, but we've decided to make this interesting. On the ground there is one goal. Whichever pokemon can retrieve a ring will progress to the singles round! At the end, the top three pokemon will be exempt from the next challenge!" Shane announced.

"You have five minutes to figure out which pokemon you are using. If you don't have one, please go to Vick. He will supply the loan pokemon. Once you have your pokemon send them to the starting line and take a seat in the bleachers."

XXX

"Do you smell anything weird?" Melody asked suddenly, flaring her nostrils to gather more of the strange scent. It smelled poisonous, manufactured, and lethal. Her eyes began to water and her head began to swim, filling with the gas that filled the sauna.

"We're being gassed!" Hunter cried. Her lungs constricted in her chest as the colorless agent expanded. It made every breath sting and her movements lethargic.

"It's Kolokol-1!" Melody cried feebly. She slumped onto the tile floor and took a staggering breath.

"What's happening?" Kai rasped, taking a deep breath automatically before hyperventilating.

"The effects, of Kolokol-1…incapacitate, within three minutes…causing…hyperventilation then extended apnea if the patients… aren't…removed…from the contaminated…area… " Hunter gasped, falling unconscious. Kai saw a blonde shock of hair being pulled off of brown curls, a familiar laugh, and felt her body being dragged from the room before she blacked out.

XXX

The trainers who owned Flying types were at an advantage, thankful for their tact in choosing pokemon types. Hiro released Charizard, who stretched his enormous wings gratefully and waited next to Riley's Charizard. Talia chose her Beautifly, who showered sparkles over the two Charizard with a playful giggle. Through the glitter their reptilian eyes narrowed. Kame's obvious choice was her Swablu, and she circled her master happily before waiting alongside Alex's Togekiss, White. Magden, red eyes and marks ablaze, let loose Screech the Skarmory. The armored bird kept true to its namesake and pierced the air with a chilling cry. Venice gave her Scyther, Deceit, an encouraging pep talk before he walked to the starting line. Kai had to borrow a volatile Murkrow from Shane, and Emily chose her Misdreaveous to compete. Mark released Dark, his Honckrow, followed by Daisuke and his mischievous Banette. Berane denied Shane's offer of a temporary pokemon and placed his trust in Angelice, his Garchomp. She crossed her "winged" arms and stood at attention near the starting line. AC's Crobat began to harass Magden's Skarmory, poking the bird in the sides until Screech snapped at him. James released Claw, his trusted Gliscor, and sat next to Venice in the bleachers. Shane gave him an sly wink and his younger brother flipped him off. Setsuna borrowed a Flygon from Shane, while Reiji opted to play Zubat instead of Chatot. Adrianne surprised everyone with her Spiritomb, Toomy, and Skyler did not disappoint with the presentation of his Volbeat, Bevo. Reina winked at Hiro before releasing Nova, her Togekiss. Kame felt her stomach turn over as Hiro winked back. Nick, boasting his pokemon's finesse, let out his Swellow, who proceeded to peck at Nick's face before waiting for further directions. Sid and Johnny borrowed matching Staraptors.

"ON YOUR MARKS…"

"SET…"

"GO!"

The pokemon rocketed into the sky, almost invisible to the naked eye. The larger pokemon had size to their advantage, and more than once did Riley and Hiro's Charizards whip a smaller competitor with its fiery tail. Talia's Beautifly used Sleep powder above the fray, laughing gleefully as a few flying pokemon fell to the ground, out cold. Bevo was the first to clamp onto a ring, taking it straight down towards the goal. Setsuna's loaned Flygon tore at the small Volbeat with a cry of war on its jaws. Flygon shot a hyperbeam at the firefly pokemon, sending it soaring the other way. Volbeat countered with a focus punch, sending the recharging Flygon in a spiral to the ground.

Volbeat took this opportunity to flit through a battle between Claw, who had a pink ring clamped in its left hand, and Reiji's Zubat. Venom dripped from the Zubat's fangs menacingly, but Claw seemed to have the upper hand in this battle. Bevo dodged a swipe from Angelice and got the ring on the lowest hook. A loud buzzer rang and Shane's voice came over the loudspeaker.

"_NINE RINGS LEFT! BEVO AND SKYLER ADVANCE TO THE NEXT ROUND!" _Bevo hovered to his trainer happily, and received high praise as Skyler hugged him. Once Volbeat was out of the picture, the campers' pokemon started to become restless. All seemed to panic as more and more rings disappeared. Kame's Swablu used an Aerial Ace to knock out Talia's Beautifly, who in turn fell on Kai's Murkrow, knocking them both out. Magden's Skarmory ripped a war path through AC's Crobat, slicing it with silver wing and stealing the green ring from its clawed feet.

"_KAME AND SWABLU ADVANCE! MADGEN AND SCREECH ADVANCE! THAT'S SEVEN RINGS!" _

Through the pandemonium rose Reina's Togekiss Nova. She sliced through a bloody tousle between the two Charizards and snapped up the ring they were fighting over. Spotting her new target, White, Alex's Togekiss, nosedived and collided with Nova. She released the ring instantly and cried out. White swooped with an aerial ace, confirming her opponent's fall, and doubled back to retrieve the ring. She was almost to the goal when Nova barreled in with an aurora beam, knocking White unconscious and grabbing the ring for a win.

"_REINA'S NOVA IS SUCCESSFUL! MAKE THAT SIX—NO, FIVE! WE HAVE JAMES' CLAW WITH ANOTHER RING_!"

The twin Staraptors were using close combat, digging at each other desperately for the ring that bobbed between them. It was difficult to tell which Staraptor belonged to Sid and which belonged to Johnny, it seemed the only differential factor was Johnny's Staraptor had a blue hue to its feathers compared to red.

The blue-crowned Staraptor used peck and got Sid's right in its left eye. Sid's Staraptor countered with a wing attack but this was dodged easily. After three or four minutes of squabbling Johnny's Staraptor proved victorious.

"_AND WE'VE GOT ANOTHER! JOHNNY AND STARAPTOR ADVANCE_! ONLY FOUR LEFT! "

"Aw, that's ace! You hear that, Sid? YOU CAN PISS OFF! HAH!" Sid wheeled with a punch to his arm and a wicked glare. Johnny ignored his "vicious" friend and ran a hand through his orange hair.

Up in the competition, Hiro's Charizard was successful in retrieving a ring, along with Reiji and Zubat, Flygon and Setsuna, and Nick's Swellow.

"_ROUND ONE COMPLETE! The trainers advancing are: Hiro, James, Nick, Setsuna, Kame, Reina, Johnny, Skyler, Magden, and Reiji! Round two members report to the starting line!" _

XXX

Hunter awoke in a sauna. It looked exactly the same as the one she had passed out in, yet something was different. She could just tell. Beside her, Kame was lying with her mouth open, and extremely viscous saliva was trailing out of her bottom lip. Melody was sitting straight up, although after inspection she was deemed unconscious.

Something wasn't right.

She tried to take a deep breath and gasped—the action was so painful Hunter fell over onto her side. She reached for her waistline and groaned—her pokemon were gone. Hunter tried to stand up but found her legs immobile. She reached over to tap Melody on the forehead. She awoke violently but relaxed when she realized it was merely Hunter by her side.

"We're trapped somewhere. Someone abducted us, and now we're going to end up like Jessica and Tyler!" Hunter hissed. Melody put a finger to her lips and exhaled, "shh"-ing her comrade.

"We can't panic. No cell can hold me." She whispered. Melody pulled out Cuddy's pokeball from between her cleavage and released her.

"What do you see, Cuddy? Break the illusion!" She commanded. The Luxray used her penetrating glare to scan the area. She walked over to a seemingly blank wall and touched a spot with her right paw, sending a small current of electricity through it. The result was instantaneous. The wooden walls of the sauna melted away and were gradually replaced with the cold, stone walls of a cell. The floors were cold and hard, and there were no windows to let in any light. Cuddy naturally gave off a glow, but it wasn't sufficient light for anything productive.

Hunter stood (after a minute of struggling) and weakly felt along the wall for any purchase, any give that would promise escape. She sighed when she felt nothing. Melody crossed her legs and jumped when her foot touched something. She gingerly pulled back and reached for the object. She brought it to Cuddy's glow and gasped—it was a small silver locket.

The locket was circular, and Melody opened the clasp with a long nail. She could barely make out the image of a family. The youngest had dark skin and curly hair.

"What is that, Melody?" Hunter whispered.

"I think this is Miss Cooper's locket."

Hunter's stomach dropped into her ankles as her legs gave way. This was the _exact_ cell where Jessica and Tyler were kept. They were _here, _bleeding and starving and hungry. _Dying. _

"We're not getting out, Melody. They've got us right where they want us-"

"—Exactly my point." A deep voice echoed from the door. In the dim light Melody could make out tanned skin and eyes the color of molten gold. A well-kept hand reached inside the bars and waved to the women inside.

"You were baited as easily as fish in a barrel." He sneered. Cuddy snarled deep in her throat and sent a thunderbolt at the door. He jumped back and dodged the blow.

"Before we kill you, we've decided to inform you of our plan. Make things…more interesting." He chuckled and the sound was not playful at all.

"Fine. But it's your mistake." Melody taunted. The man rolled his eyes and walked from the cell.

"How are we going to do this? They took all of my pokemon! They probably took Kai's as well." Hunter pointed out. Melody began collecting her pokeballs from her bracelet, her cleavage, secret pockets in her clothes.

"I've prepared for a situation like this." Melody began taking pins out of her hair and slipping them in her mouth. Hunter, realizing her plan, began removing the pins from her hair and hiding them between her teeth as well. A few moments later the cell opened and three huge men came in. Bronzor and Raticate poured into the room as well, circling them in a perimeter of pokemon. The men took no time in binding Hunter and Melody by the wrists and ankles. Kai was hoisted by a taller man named Rigel, and her tiny body was easily carried over one shoulder. Cuddy was also bound and brought with them. They were carried up flight after flight of marble stairs—their footsteps echoing into the black ceilings high above. Soon the torches became more frequent and the stairs began leveling out.

"Rigel, to the dining hall." The man with the golden eyes ordered. Rigel and the others nodded and we turned down an ornate hallway. The doors opened to an enormous ballroom, with golden marble floors and an enormous wooden table. It looked like polished mahogany, and once they were thrown upon it, it felt like solid wood, too. On the western wall was a large hearth, whose fires were blazing like the flames of a hell they couldn't describe. There were no windows.

"So glad you all could join us, ladies." The golden-eyed man began. Although he did not speak loudly his voice projected easily. Melody glanced around the room and noticed all of the chairs had filled in. The golden eyed man pulled a small remote from his pocket.

"My name is Betelgeuse; I am the leader of Team Orion. This organization, as you know, will take advantage of the alignment of Orion's Belt." He clicked a button and a large holographic screen appeared. On the screen flashed an image of the constellation and a few dimmer images.

"And I'm sure you're aware of the prophecy." A crooked smile splayed across his face as Hunter gasped.

"Oh yes. We've got half. You've got half. See where we meet a snag in the operation? But I digress. Our plan is simple yet destructive. Once Orion's Belt aligns, the earth will split and Orion's great beast will rise once more…but only under the right conditions…" He glanced to his prisoners for effect.

"We first must control the Terrors of the Skies. Something I'm _positive _you're familiar with, Miss Larsen." Hunter almost vomited. How could he possibly know what had happened to her?

XXX

_It was many years ago, when she was very young. She was on an island, this she knew, but why she was there she had no idea. Soon a melody began to play. Soft and haunting, the flute's notes grew to a substantial volume. She saw people dancing in masks, terrible masks with red, blue, and yellow feathers and sharp wooden beaks. _

_This was a festival, she decided. _

_She watched as one boy with a Pikachu went into the stormy night to retrieve three glass orbs. She saw the orbs herself, touched them, and felt their awesome power. It scared her. She waited in the festival hall with the other citizens, eager for the return of the "Chosen One." Yet, she had a bad feeling the boy would never return. So she followed him. _

_She and her Teddiursa, braving the storm just as the chosen one. She followed him through the jungle and up into the icy cliffs. She reached the shrine just as he did, and watched him take the orb. Whenever the Chosen One removed an orb, her stomach twisted. Something terrible was going to happen. When the third yellow orb was taken, hell broke loose. The three Terrors burst from oblivion and barreled toward the Chosen One. She could only watch as he futilely battled these great beasts. The Chosen One escaped on a Charizard, unaware he was leaving her behind. _

_Slowly, she turned to run. She took a few strides before the red bird slammed its foot in front of her. She looked up into the eyes of a fiery demon, an enormous orange bird whose feathers were aflame. It opened its beak and screeched at her, a sound that pinned her small body to the ground. At its comrade's call, the other two Terrors fell in formation. The second bird, even more frightening than the first, stared into her emerald eyes with its cold sapphires. They were empty, blank and terrifying. Its feathers were sharpened like crystal knives, and frost circled it like a flurry of death. Yet the third scarred her. Its black and yellow markings instilled a fear within her unsurpassed by any terror that would ever steal her heart. Currents of electricity, deadly, incapacitating electricity, cracked the air like boiling oil. It leaned down until its razor sharp beak was inches from her skin. It let out a cry, just like the first red bird, and she closed her eyes. _

XXX

"What do you know, you scheming prick?" She growled. Betelgeuse closed his golden eyes and shook his head with a smile.

"They will flock to you, Miss Larsen. You're marked." He snapped his fingers and Rigel tore away her robe. Beneath was her yellow sports bra and black spandex shorts, exposed to the entire Team. This did not bother her more than her marks being revealed. On her hip, twisting up to her ribs, her entire left side was marked with a zigzagging pattern. Yellow scars of lightning clashed with fiery red flames. In the empty gaps were crystals of blue ice, woven together delicately. Rigel ran a finger down these marks, causing Hunter to shudder profusely.

"The three legendary birds are only one component to our plan, however. I know that you have the other half of the prophecy. I have reliable sources." He gestured to Sari, who smiled warmly at her ex-counselor. Hunter spit in her direction and glared.

"So we've decided to bargain with you. You give us the other half of the prophecy…" He broke off.

"And?" Melody asked impatiently.

"…And we let you live."

XXX

"Reina and Hiro! Report to the battleground!" Cameron called. Hiro stood in front of a blue balloon while Reina chose a purple one. All of the other balloons were pulled and anchored by Tarkov's powerhouses. Their strength turned a thirty minute task into a three minute task.

"Let's go, Charizard. Jolt, stay in the stands." Jolteon barked obediently and laid down next to Kame, resting his spiky head on her lap. Hiro and Reina rose around sixty feet in the air and waited with their flying types: Charizard versus Togekiss. A smaller balloon was suspended with the blue ring—the winning ring.

"The first pokemon to reach the goal wins!" Shane blew an air horn to start the match. Charizard tore toward the ring, easily beating Nova to the punch. Nova anticipated this, however, and fired an aurora beam at her opponent.

"Dodge it, Charizard! Use fire spin!" The beast narrowly avoided the deadly blow and blew a vortex of flames at the Togekiss. Trapped in the flurry of dancing flames, Nova was powerless. Charizard wasted no time in diving toward the ground, the ring clamped in his left claw.

"Nova, use Protect and get out of there!" Throwing up an impenetrable shield, the Togekiss broke free of the trap and nosedived toward her competitor.

"Attract!" Reina screamed. Nova batted her eyelashes and blew a kiss to Charizard. The lizard turned at the wrong time and was hit full blast. He lamely opened his mouth, tongue flopping, and flew back to his new-found attraction. Nova kissed the dragon on the cheek before paralyzing him with a thunder wave. Charizard's wings locked and he began to fall from the sky.

"Damn you, irresistible women!" Hiro growled. Reina laughed mockingly and winked across the gap to Hiro. Hiro sighed irritably, winked back, and cracked a smile. Nova took the ring from the plummeting Charizard and hooked it on the goal.

"REINA ADVANCES!"

XXX

James and Setsuna were chosen to battle next. The two monotone trainers were set for battle with James' Claw at the ready and Setsuna's temporary Flygon primed to ignite.

"All right, Claw! Fire fang, let's go!" James shouted. The Gliscor rode a wind draft straight to the ring with his jaws on fire. He caught the purple ring and banked to escape. Setsuna countered with a one hit knockout: Draco Meteor. Flygon summoned comets from the heavens that rained down on Claw. He dodged as best he could but the cosmic energy was too great to avoid. Since the blows were indirect, the move only caused Claw to drop the ring.

"Hyperbeam, Claw!"

"You too, Flygon!"

The two beams clashed and sent Claw rocketing towards the ring. With a swish of his bulbous tail the ring was hit onto the hook.

"GOAL! JAMES AND CLAW WIN!" The Flygon was returned to Shane with little gratitude and Setsuna sat in the stands, instantly opening her laptop to review and record the battle's every detail. James, on the other hand, sat next to Venice and Deceit.

"YOU WERE FANTASTIC!" She screamed. "Way to go, James." She pat his forearm with a slender hand and sent chills down the boy's spine. He tried not to inhale deeply when he caught a whiff of her sweet-smelling hair. This whole liking Venice thing was getting a little too difficult to ignore, even for James Curtis.

XXX

"Okay, Bevo, you know what to do!" Skyler cheered. Johnny rolled his eyes and called the shiny Staraptor close.

"All right, mate. Just go fer the throat, look at that fleshy bugger. Imagine it's a bleedin' worm or somethin'." He whispered. The Staraptor nodded once and took to the air.

"Sky attack!"

"Dodge it, Bevo! Use silver wind!" Bevo wasn't fast enough and got hit dead on with a sky attack. Staraptor easily took the ring from the firefly pokemon and hooked it on the goal.

"_Wow, that was fast!"_ Shane laughed. He was about to call Magden and Kame when three large shadows blotted out the sun. They circled back towards the Pokeringer grounds and released a trifecta of power: a thunderbolt, ice beam, and flamethrower.

"BLOODY HELL! THAT'S A ZAPDOS!" Johnny roared, scrambling to hide from the electric legendary.

"_EVERYBODY GET OUT OF HERE!" _Tarkov boomed, not needing a megaphone to project the command. Hiro instinctively grabbed Jolteon in one arm and Kame in the other, kicking hard off the ground and into the sky. The other C.C. members took their flying types, loaned or caught, and followed him. The birds were rampant in their attack, destroying the battleground and sending Johnny and Skyler to the ground. Shane released the larger flying types—commanding Charizard, Pidgeot, Flygon, and Fearow to grab the remaining campers.

After the C.C. campers were flying from the enemy, the birds fanned out for a full-scale attack.

"Kame." Hiro murmured in her left ear.

"Hnn?" She replied.

"You need to lead everyone. Take Charizard and go. Far." He kissed her on the cheek and stood.

"HIRO! YOU ARE _NOT_ LEAVING ME AGAIN!" She cried, grabbing at the hem of his v-neck. He turned to her, to gaze at her gorgeous eye, and silently unclipped a studded bracelet from the mass of cuffs on his right forearm.

"Take this. It was my first bracelet." He pressed the cuff into her warm hand and jumped. Kame instantly screamed as the Zapdos dove for him.

"YOU IDIOT! GET BACK HERE!"

XXX

Just as Hiro anticipated, the Zapdos dove at the sight of an easy target.

"Jolt, you know what to do." He called. His best friend nodded and braced for the attack to come. Zapdos discharged major bolts of electricity, all absorbed by Jolteon's statically charged fur. The Zapdos feinted toward Hiro, close enough for the boy to grab at the bird's feathers and hold on. He mounted Zapdos between the dip in its mighty wings and reached for Jolteon in the nick of time.

The bird, aware of the boy's presence on his back, began bucking wildly. Hiro snapped his fingers and pushed down at the base of the bird's skull until Zapdos was partly sedated. Hiro squeezed his knees together and Zapdos rose, falling back in formation with its two brothers. The birds didn't seem to be chasing the C.C. members, he noticed. He noticed the birds heading back toward the Burnt Tower. The place where Jessica and Tyler were murdered. Where Team Orion dwelled.

XXX

"They're coming now, Hunter." Betelgeuse chuckled, running a finger down the glowing marks on her side. Light poured from the eyes, nose, and mouth of the female counselor. She was forced to summon them. Forced by Rigel. He touched the marks until they tingled—until they burnt. The evil in his blood activated her spirit. It tried to fight the invasive darkness. But it only catalyzed it. Now the three legendaries were coming for her.

"Oh, look, Miss Larsen! Your 'children' are coming as well! And my, the blind one seems to have a way with pokemon!" He laughed. Hunter looked up to the screen with horror—Hiro was riding the back of the Zapdos. The camp was headed here—right into the jaws of the beast.

XXX

**A/N: **

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**Love, Katie **


	23. The Boiling Point

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**XXX**

Hiro felt the Zapdos twitch in anticipation as the site of Orion's hideout came closer. The familiar graveyard was now in plain sight—with Orion's tomb sticking out like a sore thumb. The bird shrieked to its companions as the C.C. pokemon landed on the outskirts of the graveyard. Many were hesitant to enter the grounds again, but Hiro had no choice. The young trainer's stomach twisted and turned, a tumult of unease washed over him. The looming power that dwelled there was making him antsy.

"Hiro! _HIRO_!" Kame screamed, slamming her hands on the iron bars around the perimeter. He didn't look back—he didn't want to. There was no need to complicate things for her.

"COME BACK!" Her cries fell on his ignorant ears. Hiro kept his back to the camp, feeling Kame's singular blue eye burning into his back. Kame, angered, tried to enter the graveyard. When she crossed through the iron gates she fell back screaming.

"I c-can't get through!" She shouted. Tarkov placed his hand on the barrier and pushed, soon with all his might, but the shield did not budge.

"We have to wait. I hope Taminama knows what he's doing."

Kame swallowed the lump in her throat and fought back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. How could she bear to lose him, just when she had finally found someone who made sense? Someone who just molded to her, who fit, like the perfect puzzle piece that completed the picture that was her world. Gravity did not hold Kame Takeshi to the earth, no, it was Hiro Taminama. The flirtatious, attractive, half-blind goofball who had captured her sheltered heart.

She could not lose him.

XXX

Hiro dared to not look back, because he knew that if he did, he would not leave Kame again. He had to do this without her. To keep her safe. Suddenly, the sky above Hiro had blackened. It looked as if a thick purple haze had surrounded the barrier Kame discovered. It obscured the view of the hideout from any outsiders.

Hiro barely heard Kame's cries of outrage when the cloud settled over the cemetery. He merely watched the tomb of Orion open once more—hearing the soft tones of the strange language coming from the underground. The three legendaries glanced at each other once and proceeded below the ground. The tunnel was wide, tall, easily holding the three legendaries with room to spare. The stone staircase soon transitioned to polished marble, and Hiro felt his stomach pang once more. Dread and nausea coated his insides, creeping through his veins and spreading like fire. He hadn't been inside the hideout for a minute and he wanted out. Soon Hiro saw a light at the bottom of the stairwell. It was an orange glow, and he vaguely heard the sound of a crackling fire.

"The birds are here, Betelgeuse. Recommended course of action?" He heard the blonde woman's voice, Mintaka, and realized it was probably unsafe to be seen by an Orion member. Hiro dug under the large black feathers of the bird, immensely thankful he had dressed in black drainpipes and a matching black v-neck. Jolteon was also easily hidden in the ruffles of Zapdos' neck.

"Lead them to the ballroom if they permit." Hiro recognized the voice of the man with the golden eyes, now known as Betelgeuse. He had an excellent view of whatever Zapdos could see, and he noticed the fear in Mintaka's eyes. She motioned for the birds to follow her down another ornate hallway. Once they had reached the ballroom, he saw a meeting taking place. Around an enormous mahogany table were nine or ten people, all dressed in the black suede that Orion was famous for. In an enormous hearth another fire roared, and the ceilings were so high they were shrouded in darkness. On the table's surface were Hunter, Melody, Kai, and Melody's Luxray, Cuddy. They were all bound by their wrists and ankles. Kai didn't even look conscious.

"Miss Larsen! Your friends are here!" Betelgeuse cheered, poking the counselor with a silver tipped cane. When it touched her side strange markings on her sides flared, and light poured from these marks in addition to her mouth and eyes. She looked as if she was in pain.

When the legendaries spotted Hunter, the Zapdos quickly went for her. Hiro was almost thrown from its back when it spread its enormous wings and shrieked a cry of war. Hunter's eyes widened and the fear was evident on her pained face.

"Ahh, I see the relationship hasn't changed. Rigel, the cages." A large man stood from the table and threw his hand out, releasing three metal devices. They were triangular in shape and they blinked with small yellow lights. The birds, distracted by the sight of Hunter, did not flinch when the tiny objects struck them. When they made contact they expanded in shape, fanning out into large metal cages. The bars were woven intricately, spaced so the birds would have less than enough room to function. The cages hovered six or seven feet above the floor, and between the bars visible volts of electricity kept anything from escaping.

Once the beasts were trapped, they instantly began thrashing and beating the bars of their prisons. The fire of the Moltres was contained in the cage, rippling around the bird in waves of flame. When Zapdos released a thunderbolt, a strangled yell echoed out of the cage. A crumpled form rolled out of the feathers sheathing the pokemon's body and slammed against the bottom of the cage, issuing more howls from the person. Mintaka, smiling, walked over to identify the stranger.

"Oh, he's very cute, Betelgeuse." Her saccharine voice was barely audible over Hiro's screams. The current of electricity circled around the perimeter of the cage's bars, giving the boy about a minute before he was jolted again. Hiro watched in horror as the blue light was on its last circuit toward him. He leapt up, grabbed the leg of the Zapdos, and was shocked again.

"GET ME OUT OF HERE!" He roared. Mintaka shifted her weight onto her left leg and raised her delicate fingers to her chin. She looked as if she was debating on something simple, like choosing between chocolate or vanilla, as opposed to killing the stowaway or sparing his life. Mintaka looked to Betelgeuse, got the nod, and snapped her fingers. A small hatch at the bottom of the cage swung open, and Hiro gratefully rolled out of it, Jolteon close behind. He fell six feet and crashed on his ribs, but not before the strange gravity suspended him for a few moments. Hiro coughed up some blood and took a labored breath.

"Ah, a stowaway. How lovely for you to join us!" Betelgeuse chuckled, walking over to examine the young trainer. Jolteon stood over his master, snarling as Betelgeuse came closer, but a quick attack from Zara distracted the electric type. Betelgeuse took a long-fingered hand and turned Hiro onto his back, carefully pulling the bandana back into place and wiping the blood from the corners of his mouth. Hiro kept his eyes closed as he tried to get the room to stop spinning.

"Hmm, those cages run around 100 volts of electricity per minute. His muscles must be like rubber now." He picked up Hiro's left wrist and let go, watching it drop like dead weight. Hiro coughed involuntarily, spitting more crimson blood onto the marble floor. Jolteon, breaking free from Zara's grasp and paralyzing her, leapt for Betelgeuse's throat. The motion was so quick it was hard to tell Jolteon had moved. His mouth clamped on Betelgeuse's neck and the pokemon's jaw locked. Betelgeuse instantly snapped his fingers and a Dragonite flew into the room, barreling toward the tussle with crazed eyes. The dragon pokemon tore the smaller from his master's neck and hurtled him into the far wall with one swing of his claw. Jolteon crashed against the marble with a horrible cry.

"LEAVE THEM ALONE!" Kai must have been conscious now, because her voice cut above the noise of the fight and rang clearly. When Betelgeuse finished examining his bleeding neck he turned toward the smallest captive and smiled. The gesture was not friendly—his mouth curled at the corners and the image was unnerving. His entire expression screamed predator.

"Ahh. And we have the purple-eyed hothead. How are you today, young lady?" He sauntered over to her, slowly, as if taunting his prey before the kill. Kai rolled her aforementioned eyes and spit at him.

"Hmm, I see. Well, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, I suppose. Saiph, if you would? I know how fond you are of these things." Saiph, a man of medium height, stood with a smile just as wicked as his master's. He was an attractive person, with angular features and high cheekbones, parading dark curly hair and even darker eyes. He must've only been around twenty years old. The villain excitedly took the remote Betelgeuse handed him and pressed a button. A Bronzor hummed into the room, carrying a long silver box. Once Saiph had the box in his hands his smile grew wider, his eyes sparkling with the thought of human pain. Kai's primal instincts kicked in at this moment, and in a few seconds she had rolled off of the table and onto the floor, struggling toward the exit. Saiph walked over to her in two long strides and stepped on the chain binding her ankles.

"You might want to close your eyes." He whispered. His voice, sultry and deep, temporarily caught Kai's attention. With a flutter of her eyelids she obeyed, and Saiph began his torture. Out of the silver box came a bottle with filmy white liquid, and a long black whip. The tanned leather cracked menacingly against the marble, causing Kai to jump. Saiph doused the weapon in the film from the bottle, cracked it once, and faced his master for further instruction.

"How much, sir?" Saiph asked.

"Enough to scar. But don't kill her, Saiph, we know that's no fun." With no preamble Saiph cracked the whip across Kai's face—a long, jagged hit that cut into her pale skin. She shrieked as if she had been set on fire.

"Ah, the corrosive! Excellent choice, Saiph." Betelgeuse clapped slowly, almost in time with Kai's screams. Melody gritted her teeth and growled in her throat. This was just like the war. Chemical warfare, torture, the entire bit. Her old scars twinged every time Kai was struck. Hunter, battling back her own pain, could not bear to look. Hiro, however, could not tear his gaze away. Her cries pierced the air like knives, tortured and agonized. With two strikes her spa robe had been cut away, leaving Kai in her black swimsuit. With more pale skin visible, Saiph attacked the planes of her stomach and her ribs, laughing maniacally as every ribbon of blood was cut fresh in his canvas of torture. As the corrosive seeped into her open wounds, Kai started to vomit. Stomach acid and blood mixed in a pool by her hair, and the entire scene was gruesome enough for Betelgeuse to stop it.

"Enough. She has learned her lesson, Saiph. Hopefully this teaches you not to speak disrespectfully to a superior." Kai could only vomit in response. Betelgeuse walked over to Kai and stooped down, brushing the dark hair from her face.

"Shh, sleep now, Kaiya. Forgiveness." He pinched a nerve in her neck and she fell unconscious once more.

XXX

"KAI IS IN THERE! GOD DAMMIT, LET ME _GO_!" Riley's voice cracked out of sheer desperation. He clawed his way out of Tarkov's clutches and charged the gate once more, flying back and slamming into the earth just as the other attempts did. Riley and Kame were the most frantic of the C.C. campers, constantly cursing and crying and trying to break the barrier. The others sat in somber silence.

"IS THIS ALL YOU CAN DO? JUST SIT HERE?" Riley roared. Setsuna shook her head and turned her laptop around, showing screens of the graveyard's layouts, their coordinates, and data on the place in general.

"There is no penetrable point of entry, Riley. Their barrier is a combination of electromagnetic energy and something my scanners can't recognize. Our best bet is to wait." Her icy eyes looked as if they were trying to be sympathetic—but the expression was impossible for her. Riley exhaled through his teeth and plopped onto the ground.

The summer sun beat down on the campers, particularly AC. The blazing heat threw his marks into brilliance, bright enough to spark an idea in the boy's mind. Moving away from the bickering, he took off his shirt and sat in the lotus position, bathing in the sun. His marks grew brighter as he cleared his mind and opened his heart, trying to concentrate and summon the Lugia that marked him.

Magden, noticing the sudden absence of AC, looked around until her eyes fell on him. She walked until she was right in front of him. She reached out with her left hand and brushed her fingers over his marks. Upon doing so, Magden's marks flashed with light and activated. She sunk to the floor, falling into the lotus position almost as if she were in a trance. AC opened his eyes, which were glowing a bright blue, and reached for Magden's hands. Upon his warm touch her icy grasp tightened, and she opened her shining red gaze and smiled. With a hesitant breath, they laced their fingers and dipped into the world of the legendaries.

XXX

_The two marked t rainers walked along the path of the universe, weightless, intangible, and insubstantial. They looked around the cosmos with wide eyes of blue and red—the reflections of the millions of stars twinkling in every fiber of each iris. Their souls imprinted on the galaxies, feeling one and complete with every aspect of life. The road beneath their feet was transparent, luminescent, revealing the endless miles of stars below. Their footsteps made the floor ripple like water, expanding slowly with no purpose and no direction. Soon AC felt something stir within him—he was getting close to the Lugia. At his side Magden squeezed his hand—she must be close to her legendary as well. _

_The road inclined slightly and soon it deposited the couple at the edge of a pool of water. It was of average size, round, and the water's surface was as still and undisturbed as glass. Magden reached down to touch the water but AC pulled her back. They needed to do it together. He concentrated until his marks shone, as Madgen did, and clasped her cold hand. Together they placed their laced fingers to the pool's surface. In an instant a brilliant flash blinded the pair, and when the light dimmed two legendaries stood before them. Lugia, the embodiment of the moon, and its twin, Ho-oh, the sun entity. The guardian of the sea and the guardian of the skies, together as one. _

_"Welcome, my children." The Lugia and Ho-Oh said in unison._

_"Why have you summoned us?" The Ho-Oh asked. _

_"We need your help, wise ones. Our friends are in trouble, they have been captured and they will die if we don't help them." Magden said, tears forming in her red eyes. The Lugia cleared its throat and began to speak. _

_"You and young AC are polar opposites, push and pull, twi and la, sun and moon, dark and light, warm and cold. Although you clash at times, there is no stronger attraction than in opposites. It's what pulls this earth in time with space, it's what keeps the tides and the moon in sync. It is the balance in life. In order to defeat any enemy, teamwork is the answer. To ignore adversity, ignore opposites, and let the natural attraction guide you. Together, you must find the weakest point and strike. This is the answer you are not looking for, however." _

_"Which is why we've decided to help you." The Ho-Oh added. With a sweep of its rainbow feathers the Ho-Oh touched Magden, and her marks were blazing with the fires of the sun, the vastness of the skies, and the freedom of an uninhibited wind. Lugia did likewise with AC, giving him the strength of the oceans, the cold swath of the tides, and the unbridled grasp of life that dwells in the sea's depths. _

_"Go forth. Use your pokemon to work with you. Do not fight the grind, go with it. By embracing your opposite, you not only strengthen yourself but those around you." The Lugia advised. _

_"Indeed. Now you know, young Magden, why I have chosen you. You are young AC's opposite, his _hantai, _and by marking you I have marked him as well. Do not hesitate to call us if we are needed." With another flash of brilliance the two legendaries were gone._

XXX

"Do you all see why submissiveness is praised here?" Betelgeuse asked, pulling a vial of golden liquid from his pocket. The bottle's contents were viscous and thick, almost opaque within the glass container. He uncorked the stopper and gently poured the golden substance on Kai's wounds. Upon contact Kai's muscles seemed to relax. Her bleeding wounds began to smoke and dissipate, leaving fresh white scars in their place. Kai's expression melted into a deep sleep then. Hunter's sigh of relief was audible to all ears, she was not one to make her feelings a secret.

"Now that that's taken care of, how about we address the stowaway?" Betelgeuse smiled slightly and stalked over to Hiro. His eyes trailed the half-full bottle in his hand—hoping for some of the contents to be poured into his own wounds.

"Oh, you want some of this?" He waved the bottle with his hand. "What a shame. There's none left!" With a maniacal chuckle he poured the golden liquid onto the marble floor. Before it hit it hovered a few inches above the ground, slowed by gravity and a change in weight. Hiro's eye widened but he tried to keep his sedated state evident.

"So you are alive in there. Hello, I'm Betelgeuse. What's your name?" He extended his hand and Hiro struggled to meet it with his own. At Hiro's cold touch Betelgeuse involuntarily shuddered.

"_D-da-i-ss-uke N-aan-aka-mura." _He gasped. The golden liquid fell to the floor then, evaporating in an instant. Zara hissed from her perch and Betelgeuse's eyes narrowed.

"My Zara thinks you're lying." Hiro shook his head tiredly and kept his blind eye closed. Betelgeuse whirled on Hunter and got straight into her face.

"Is it true? Is this boy Daisuke Nakamura?" He growled. Hunter looked straight into his golden eyes and nodded. Betelgeuse growled low in his throat and dismissed the matter. He took the remote Saiph was holding and punched a few buttons, waiting for the screen to slide down from the depths of the ceiling. He pressed another and the bars on the electrified cages tightened.

"We must control their power. With the Three Terrors under our control—the first part of the prophecy is fulfilled." The birds shrieked in pain as if their life forces were being drained.

"Yet sadly—this isn't the only part of the prophecy, as you might know." Hunter tried to remain stoic but Betelgeuse looked directly at her. Those piercing golden eyes cut through her reserve and sliced into her soul. Sure, she had looked into the eyes of a murderer before, but his gaze was nothing she had ever experienced. She felt her mind contract, tighten, as if something was probing it. When she tried to tear her gaze away she found she could not.

"Let me go." She pleaded. Betelgeuse smiled and walked over to her, activating her marks with a stroke of his index finger. Her eyes shone and her head fell to the table.

"Miss Larsen, there is so much you have left to learn. About leadership, about yourself. About pokemon, and the connections they make when they mark a human." He tapped a button on the remote and the voltage increased in the electrified cages. The birds began screeching in pain, and Hunter screamed as well. She gasped in horror as it dawned on her—anything the birds felt, she felt.

"I need that prophecy, Miss Larsen. And you're going to give it to me." His lips brushed against her ear as he bent to whisper the command—and as much as it made Hunter shudder the gesture secretly thrilled her.

Maybe she liked the danger.

XXX

Magden and AC's eyes opened simultaneously, meeting iris to iris with an assured smile. The warm sapphire embraced her chilling flames and they held each other for a brief moment. The C.C. was gathered around them, waiting for the answer that would break the barrier. Magden and AC stood together and walked to the wall. Before her palm touched the wall two visions splayed across her mind: one was of six people going into the graveyard, and four returning. The other was the entire camp entering, and six returning.

"Not everyone can go." She muttered. When the camp huddled at the graveyard's gates Magden whirled.

"NOT EVERYONE CAN GO. _SIX _PEOPLE CAN GO." Everyone was used to Magden's up front attitude, but not at this caliber. She pulled Screech from her belt and released him, and AC did likewise with Magby.

"How are we supposed to know who goes and who doesn't?" Tarkov inquired, pressing a callused hand to the barrier and feeling its force.

"I don't know. Whoever can pass through when AC and I open it." Magden fought back the nauseating fact that two people weren't going to return. Magden concentrated her energy and soon she was aglow once more. She pressed her left palm to the barrier—and her cold yet fiery touch spread from her hand out across the purple haze. AC copied her and his blue aura began to mix with Magden's. Riley walked straight up to the barrier and walked through it, folding his arms and waiting on the other side. Kame, although hesitant, walked through as well.

"Two more." AC said.

Many of the C.C. (counselors included) found they could not permeate through the purplish haze. The last who hadn't tried were Alex and Mark. The Twinleaf natives walked through as if the force field never existed. Alex swallowed a lump in her throat and followed the others, her hand gripping Mark's like a lifeline. Magden maneuvered around graves and tombs in the low light with ease, leading the pack with her eyes and hands shining. AC held up the rear. The approached Orion's tomb, which had been opened recently, and descended down the stairs into the hideout. In the shadows of the ceiling above, Screech flew ahead, steel wings slicing silently through the stagnant air. AC charged into the torch-lit hall but was pulled quickly back by Magden.

"We can't just barge in like we know the place, tough guy. Do you have any idea what the layout is like?" AC opened his mouth to protest but quickly shut it.

"This is why we need a plan." Alex said, digging a pokeball out of her skirt pocket. Her Togekiss sat before her, her wings folded against her side.

"Get on, Mark." The twinleaf rangers hopped on the pokemon and they flew up into the blackened ceiling. Magden snapped her fingers once and Screech was at her side.

"Cmon, Ace. We need to stay close. Riley—you can't use Charizard here." She whispered.

"Why? He's a flying type too."

"His tail will give you away! We'll guide you from above. Two snaps means the coast is clear. One means it's not safe." With that less-than-reassuring note, Magden and AC dissolved into the darkness of the ceiling. Riley and Kame waited for Magden's two snaps, proceeding quietly into the hall. Their footsteps barely echoed on the marble surfaces. A pack of Bronzor were humming down the hall towards them, and Riley yanked Kame by her shirt until she was flat against the wall behind him. Her foot connected with the wall and it sounded as loud as a gunshot in the silent hall. The Bronzor turned simultaneously toward the sound and the couple was torn from the floor, scooped up by Magden and Alex. Once the Bronzor hovered down a different hallway, they were set back down.

"Riley…I'm scared." Kame whispered. She reached for his hand and pulled back—his skin was alarmingly warm. She wasn't used to the heat, she preferred Hiro's cold touch. But his rough hand enveloped hers in a warm vice, leading her through the darkness with assured steps.

He pulled up to an intersection of the hallways, facing north first. Magden snapped once. He faced east, one snap, then west, two. They proceeded until two huge enormous wooden doors were before them. He reached for the handle and Magden snapped once. He looked up to the ceiling in confusion.

"What do you want me to do?" He hissed.

"Hold on. There's a vent up here large enough for all of us. It leads to a balcony. Come up." Kame called out Swablu, who took her and Riley up in two trips. They crawled through the air conditioning vent and out onto a marble outcropping. They army-crawled to the lip of the ledge and looked at the scene below.

A large hearth sported a roaring fire in one wall, casting a reddish golden glow over the huge mahogany table in the center of the ballroom. Nine or ten people dressed in black were seated in high-backed dining chairs.

"There's Kai!" Riley breathed. "She's not conscious…" His face flashed from relief to fear in a matter of seconds.

"Shh, she's fine, Riles." Magden said, touching his arm with her hand. The cold was abrasive to his warm skin but after a moment or so he relaxed his muscles.

"Miss Larsen! I need that prophecy more than you need your life. So what is your choice?" The man with the golden eyes was stalking their counselor, who they just noticed was bound and shaking on the table's surface. She was glowing with red, yellow, and blue light, and all over her ribs were marks with the coordinating colors.

After she shook her head, the Orion leader sighed. "Another."

The blonde woman known as Mintaka caught a remote her master threw her and flipped it over. Kame squinted and realized it was a dial. She cranked it hard to the right and terrible shrieking sounds almost annihilated the eardrums of the hidden campers. The decibels increased as they rose to the ceiling—AC had to cover his ears. Riley looked for the source of the sound and almost threw up—the Legendary Terrors were caged and were being electrocuted. But AC also noticed another sound: Hunter's cries. She was screaming just as fervently as the birds.

"Mags." AC whispered. She looked with a 'hmm?' expression and he continued.

"Look. Hunter must've been marked by the Terrors." He pointed to her crying form and Magden strained for a better look.

"Her eyes are aglow, so is her mouth, and look at the marks on her side. Whenever that bitch turns the dial, the birds are given currents of electricity. Her marks are activated, right? Well whatever the birds feel, she feels." Magden's crimson eyes widened and she began breathing heavily.

"We need to do something. We need to get down there!" Riley's growling interrupted Magden's miniature freak-out for a few moments. The shrieking stopped and the man stooped over Hunter again.

"Now, now. Don't make Betelgeuse do something he'll regret…" His voice was saccharine and pleasing, but an underlying coat of evil made the syllables sound wrong. Unclean.

More silence and the man named Betelgeuse shrugged.

"Fine. Maybe more lashes for the beautiful Kaiya? Maybe this time I won't bother healing them. Or perhaps I prey on Daisuke for awhile. He's been awfully quiet over in his little corner."

"No…please...stop!" Hunter pleaded. Betelgeuse shook his head slowly with a chuckle and stood over Hiro.

"What's wrong with your eye, boy?" He demanded, stomping on the fingers of his left hand. Hiro bit his lip to keep from crying out.

"N-not-h-ing! I hit it on my w-wa-y d-d-d-own!" More blood spilled from his lips as his mouth tried to form words around a swollen jaw. Kame noticed Hiro from above and began crying. Her sobs were muffled by her striped sleeve, but were still audible. From a lower ledge, Kame spotted Zara looking straight in their direction—ears at attention. Kame squealed in terror and the pokemon began snarling. It was obtrusive enough to get Betelgeuse to stop torturing Hiro for a moment.

"What is it, my dear Zara? Is someone watching me make a scene?" The Zangoose's ears fell flat to her back, and a hissing sound erupted from deep within her throat.

"Hmm. Interesting…" He pulled a pokeball from his belt and casually tossed it to the marble floor with no preamble. In a flash of light a Heatran was on the floor. Betelgeuse snapped his fingers three times and the Heatran aimed its cannons at the ceiling, releasing a flash cannon. The light threw the hidden campers in relief and they scattered. Riley, in one move, released his Charizard and pulled Kame with them. They jumped on his back as another flash cannon destroyed the ledge. Magden had already escaped on Screech with AC, and Alex and Mark were safely on White's back. Hunter screamed at her campers to escape but she was silenced with a backhanded slap from Mintaka. Zara scrambled from her perch down to the floor to fall in line with Draira and Heatran. Hiro rolled into the shadow next to Jolteon.

"SILENCE!" The commotion halted for a few moments as Betelgeuse commanded. He hardly raised his voice, but it cut above the noise all the same.

"I will not stand for this pandemonium in my ballroom. We either move to the arena or I kill you all now. Your choice."

XXX

"A three on three. My Draira, my Zara, and my Toichi versus three of your own."

"And if we win?" Magden asked.

"Then I will release your friends Daisuke and Kaiya."

"And Hunter too?"

"We'll see."

AC, Riley, and Mark stepped up instantly, protectively, but Magden wasn't about to have a moment of it. She yanked AC by his blue shirt and stepped in front of him.

"It's time for me to avenge Jessica." A feral snarl was simmering in the base of her throat—she would never get a chance like this again. Kame tapped Riley on the shoulder as well, gently pulling him out of the way.

"I need to repay this Zangoose for destroying my face." She gripped Magden's cold hand, relishing how it felt like Hiro's.

Mark looked to Alex with a brow raised, and he bowed and gestured for her to go.

"Fcuk shit up, my friend." She kissed him on the cheek—a fleeting peck—as they stepped into the stands.

"First I'd like to summon our crimson eyed challenger: Miss Maria Errow." With a flip of her brown hair she summoned Screech. To counter her choice, Draira went airborne.

"You know what to do, Draira!"

"Silver Wing!" After the first hit it was obvious the C.C. underestimated Betelgeuse's pokemon and his power. With one lazy flick of her tail Draira pounded Magden's Skarmory into the stone wall. Screech's steel-like body crumpled and folded in on itself like a crushed can.

Magden clapped a hand over her mouth and gasped.

"Too bad…next challenger."

Alex and White faired similarly, but at least White was able to fell Draira with a powerful aurora beam. But facing Toichi wore White to the bone. The Togekiss fell to the floor with a staggering breath. Alex called her friend back and burst into tears when Mark wrapped his arms around her.

Kame stepped up then, looking Zara straight in the eye and tearing off her eye patch in the same move.

"You have hurt my friends, killed some, and are planning to make this world a living hell! I'm not going to let you!" She shouted, planting her feet and plunging her hand into her shorts pocket. She pulled out Swablu's baby blue pokeball and tossed it to the ring. The parrot-like pokemon looked alarmed at her master's uncovered eye but ignored it.

"Lava Plume."

"Sky attack!" The tiny bird took the brunt of the blast to her side, setting one of her cottony wings aflame. She shook off the embers and countered. The attack hit, and suddenly Swablu began to glow.

"Swablu is evolving!" AC screamed. Sure enough, Swablu had evolved into Altaria, who surged into battle with a rejuvenated screech. Her soprano-like voice rose in tempo and soon it was lulling the Heatran to sleep. The Orion members began to doze off as well, until the phoenix-like pokemon had successfully knocked all evil unconscious.

"It's time to leave!" Kame hissed. Hiro unclipped Charizard and he pulled Hunter onto his pokemon's back. Magden and AC loaded onto Screech and led the way out, followed by Alex, Mark, Riley, and Kai.

Kame and Altaria watched the tomb shut and the purple cloud dissipate.

It was calming.

XXX

**Yeahh hahaha idkk about the ending sorry kind of rushed! **

**PLEASEE RATE AND REVIEW ! **


	24. A Little Less Sixteen Candles

**PLEASE READ:**

**Hey everyone!**

**Thanks for everything—reviews, suggestions, etc. Go to the Forums! Answer some of the many topics that are there. Blah blah blah thanks ImaginationDomination for her Oneshot, PLEASE READ IT IF YOU HAVENT ALREADY. REVIEW IT AS WELL. Or fear my chapter is filled with sections of writing from the ever-loyal CrazyYanmega. He created Melody and Cameron and a few new characters we will see soon! Sorry for the late update, recently ive been hospitalized for my neck and back. I'm home now, and im bedridden for awhile -_-**

**THE RELEASE DATE OF THIS CHAPTER IS AUGUST FOURTH, OFFICIALLY THE BIRTHDAY OF EIN STORM (THE CREATOR OF KAME TAKESHI, WHOSE BIRTHDAY IS ALSO AUGUST FOURTH.) THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO YOU, KALLIA! HAVE THE BESTEST BIRTHDAY :D **

**Reviews make my day! Recommend C.C. to your friends, etc, we need some more readers !**

**Oh and for the one hundred and twenty years thing—I know the math isn't accurate. That's why I got a C- this year. Just go with it :D **

**I DO NOT OWN "You Will Be My Ain True Love" by Alison Krauss. **

**Love, Katie. ^3^ **

XXX

Kaiya, Hiro, and Hunter were carefully laid in the infirmary of Johto National Park. Kaiya had an IV drip of saline and morphine, and was sleeping peacefully beneath crisp white sheets and the fluorescent lighting of the hospital's rooms. Hunter was sitting up in her bed, her marks deactivated and her eyes shut tight. She was getting her blood drawn and taken for tests.

Hiro was in the last room, lying unconscious in his bed. His face had been cleaned of blood and dirt, and on his calves were automatic compressors that would massage his shocked muscles every two minutes. In his left hand was an IV—he wasn't allowed to eat until he got x-rays and a cat scan to prove he wasn't broken more than they had anticipated. Kame sat at his bedside, her small hand curling around his large one. She rubbed her thumb in circles over his right palm, which was colder than it usually was. The trainer was shirtless in his bed, and Kame quickly counted the number of cords attached to her friend.

"One..Two…Three… Four…Five…Six…Seven..Eight…" Four were scattered over his pectorals, three on his sides and stomach, and one on his neck. Jolteon watched Kame inspect his master for a few minutes and looked to Altaria, who took her perch on the windowsill. The phoenix-like pokemon fluttered over to the railing of the hospital bed and brushed her cotton-like wings over Hiro's cuts. She then bowed her feathered head and shed a few tears.

"I know you can't hear me, Hiro. But when we were down in the cave, I ripped off my eye patch. I don't want to wear it anymore, and I did it because I saw you lying on the floor. Paralyzed. I thought you were d-dying." Her voice broke on the last dreaded word, her breath catching in her throat.

"I had to be brave, just like you. I wanted to feel your hands again, Hiro. Your gorgeous cold skin. I wanted to look into your blue eye with my split one and know that you were going to be okay." She reached over him and smoothed his fauxhawk back into place.

"Other than my Aunt Miki, Hiro, no one has ever been important enough to love. I didn't want to make attachments because I knew that if I did, there was a chance I would lose them. But you've shown me how beautiful life can be, you've shown me to be strong and to be myself. To take risks. If I never met you, I wouldn't be in love right now." She carefully wrapped her small fingers around Hiro's hand, avoiding the IV drip on the back of it. Kame looked to the heart monitor's screen as she grasped his hand and her stomach flipped. When she touched Hiro his heart started to race. Was he awake? Oh, god, Kame prayed he was asleep. If he heard her saying all those things…her face turned to a burning shade of scarlet as she flushed from embarrassment.

She removed her fingers slowly and walked from the room.

XXX

Within a week in the Johto National Park infirmary, all of the injured had been discharged and cleared for normal activity. Sid even got his cast sawed off. The terror of team Orion had been temporarily vanquished, and a relaxed air settled over the camp once more. Talia spent time playing her violin, and once this talent was discovered by Hiro and the Punks, they pestered her until she finally agreed to "jam" with them.

"What songs do you know?" Sid asked, pulling out an acoustic and handing it to Johnny. Johnny ran his hand through his orange hair before plucking a few strings. Talia looked up from the campfire to the starry sky and thought for a moment.

"There was one song my Great-Grandmother used to sing. She said she sang it to my Great-Grandfather every time he was rotated into the Civil War. My Mom said she said it always brought him home…" She broke off.

"But one time it didn't." Berane finished for her. Talia nodded and began to tune her violin.

"The Pokemon Civil War took place almost a hundred and twenty years ago, between the rivaling political parties in the Kanto Region." Setsuna stated, reading the online encyclopedia entry entered for the war.

"The War took almost six years to resolve. Many fighting tactics that were used in the Civil War were and still are used today." Cameron interjected. Talia raised her bow and inhaled slowly, beginning her tune.

_"You walk unscathed through musket fire_

_No ploughman's blade will cut thee down_

_No cutless wound will mar thy face_

_And you will be my ain true love_

_And as you walk through death's dark veil_

_the cannon's thunder can't prevail_

_And those who hunt thee down will fail_

_and you will be my ain true love_

_and you will be my ain true love_

_Asleep inside the cannon's mouth_

_the captain cries 'Here comes the rout'_

_They'll seek to bind me north and south_

_I've gone to find my ain true love_

_The field is cut and bleeds to red_

_the cannonballs fly round my head_

_The infirmary men may count me dead_

_when I've gone to find my ain true love_

_I've gone to find my ain true love..." _

Talia lifted her bow after a sweet, dragging note and opened her eyes. Everyone was in shocked silence. First, because no one had ever witnessed her singing voice, and second, because no one had even noticed that she ever had a violin case with her the whole time.

"The Civil War might've been one of the most gruesome wars this world has ever seen." Tarkov stated. The camp sensed a story and quieted down once more, eager to hear his tale.

"It all began with an argument. An argument that would evolve, much like a pokemon, into a stronger, nastier, larger, and more powerful version of it. One half of the region….they didn't think that pokemon were actual beings. They treated them like possessions, abusing them and putting them to work. Almost like servants. They didn't believe pokemon and humans could ever form friendships. They were different. They were _cruel_." The campfire crackled loudly during his pause, almost as if on cue.

"The other half, the side that won, knew that pokemon were more than just animals. More than just objects that could be traded and abused. They knew that pokemon were special and unique, and their power was a gift that could not be manipulated. They believed in the friendships between human and pokemon. They fought for that belief, and six bloody years later they won. The other half were forced to either convert to the mindset of the Western Kantonians or have their pokemon taken away…" Tarkov explained.

"What was it like back then?" Reina asked, squeezing Shadow, her Umbreon, closer to her chest.

"Things were very different. There were no vehicles, electricity, anything modern you could imagine. There weren't even pokeballs." Cameron started, inviting Yanmega to stop his patrols and to sit beside him.

"Pokemon were wild, yes, but could be captured using these strange harnesses. The harnesses were wrestled onto the pokemon. Catching one was very difficult, and often time people died in the process. Pokemon were volatile then. They didn't trust humans, especially the Eastern Kantonians. But the Western people left pokemon to their own free will, befriending them and winning their trust. This eventually led to a peaceful existence where pokemon and humans were together. But the war was just as violent and volatile as the Eastern people and the pokemon living there. Instead of modern weapons, like automatic guns, swords, explosives, and the use of pokemon, their artillery was quite different. They had primitive guns called muskets, which involved gunpowder, and the bullet would often blast into pieces. They used cannons, and on the end of their muskets were things called bayonets."

"Bayonets are extremely sharp knives attached to the barrel of the rifle. They greatly enhance short-range combat for the average infirmary man. The bayonet could keep an enemy a "rifle's length" away, and often was used to cut the stomach or stab the heart." Setsuna recited. A few of the girls' eyes were wide, imagining a soldier slicing their bellies with a sharpened blade.

"So what about now? How were the other wars different from the Civil War?" Daisuke asked, genuinely interested in something for the first time. Tarkov looked to Hunter, almost as if asking for permission to proceed.

"It'd be good for them to know. We need to teach them to fight." She muttered in a low voice. Tarkov nodded once.

"In the wars I have served in, along with the wars I've served alongside Hunter, Cameron, Vick, and Melody, there have been countless deaths. War isn't something that's pretty." Tarkov sighed, shaking off the trauma of his past with a shrug of his enormous shoulders.

"The Four Regions War. "_A War to End All Wars_" it was called. That was the biggest joke of the century. That war was disgusting. There was no mercy. We were all given orders to "take no prisoners" and destroy any enemy that crossed our path. The Four Regions War was mass chaos. All because one region decided that they didn't like the other ones. They had this insane fascist view that their race of Hoenn natives were superior biologically, that the species of pokemon there were all-powerful. Due to the economic bonds that Sinnoh had with Hoenn, they sided with them as well." Cameron said.

"Chemical warfare, total war, everything you could imagine. The first atomic bomb ever created was developed in Kantonian labs, destined to annihilate Fortree City. Fortree was to be devastated, along with anything within one hundred miles of the capital. _Thousands_ died. The landscape of Fortree was wiped clear from the earth. Erased, as easily as a pencil line on paper." Tarkov reached into his pocket and pulled out a small leather pouch. He loosened the hide strings and dumped the contents into his callused palm. In his hand was a large bullet. There was a chip missing out of it, and it was grayed and dusty with age.

"This bullet was my leg for three weeks. Three weeks. There were so many injured and so many more dying, that my wound was considered minor." He growled.

"War is a terrible thing, indeed," Melody began. "But I'm not sure what was worse. The feeling that you are killing another human and their pokemon, or the fear that if you don't kill them, they will kill you. Orion has the Terrors. Their half of the prophecy is partly fulfilled. War seems inevitable now, Tarkov, and something must be done." She reached for the katana on her back and unsheathed it.

"I don't want to kill any more with this blade, but I know the time will come again." Her icy eyes met Tarkov's grey ones and he nodded.

"Tomorrow we have war training. After breakfast. Company dismissed."

XXX

"Wake up, Kame." She felt soft lips brush her ear as she woke from a light sleep. Her dreams were foggy and still present in her mind—so the image of Hiro standing over her seemed unreal.

"Hi Hiro." She giggled, enjoying the dream-version of him her mind conjured. His hair wasn't gelled, it was peeking from under the edge of a black beanie. He wore a faded blue v-neck and grey skinny jeans, and his arms were free of bracelets except for a few leather cuffs and some woven bands. His smile was shining in the early light and Kame smiled widely. He looked as gorgeous as ever.

"Hello, beautiful." Kame didn't blush because she thought she was dreaming.

"Hello, handsome." She sat up and grabbed his cold hand. He pulled her out of bed, gave her a jacket he had on the dresser, and lead her outside. The sky was barely turning into its pre-dawn grey, the horizon lightening by every minute. Hiro released Charizard from his belt and the great beast bowed, waiting for the passengers to board.

"Where are we going?" Kame asked dreamily. Hiro shook his head and asked her to be patient. Charizard cut through the early fog like butter, twisting and dipping with the slight breeze. Hiro banked hard to the left and cut upward, finally settling on the top of a grassy knoll.

"Kame, you're not dreaming anymore." Hiro chuckled softly. He was staring at the "just woken up" mess of Kame's appearance. Her golden caress of curly hair framed her soft face, and her eyes were half-lidded and dreamy. She yawned, revealing her white teeth, and blinked her blue eye slowly.

"Okay, fine. If I'm not dreaming, what day is it?" Kame decided to humor the dream-Hiro.

"It's your sixteenth birthday." Her eyes widened. She really _wasn't _dreaming. A furious, traitorous blush crept over her cheeks, betraying her embarrassment to the older boy. Hiro rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Don't be embarrassed, my tortoise. I know you think I'm handsome." He winked his blue eye and her insides melted all over again.

"Happy Birthday, Kame Takeshi." Hiro leaned down and brushed his lips over her burning cheek. He slipped a small white box into her hand when he pulled away. With shaking fingers she lifted the lid and almost fainted. Inside was a silver chain, and dangling from the bottom was a locket. It was shaped like a heart, but on the outside was an inscription.

"_A__cœur vaillant rien d'impossible." _The French syllables were foreign to Kame's lips, but she sounded them out without much difficulty. "What does it mean?"

"To a valiant heart nothing is impossible." He picked up her hand, put the locket in it and closed her fingers around it. He brought her fist to his lips and kissed it slowly. "Come on, it's time to get back for breakfast." He helped her up with a flex of his forearm and set her on Charizard's back. He mounted the pokemon next and wrapped his cold arms around her midsection.

"Thanks for being the only one to remember my birthday." Kame mumbled into his ear. Hiro nibbled on the shell of her ear before laughing softly.

"Just wait, my tortoise." Charizard kicked off the ground and back towards camp.

XXX

"Yanmega, touch my coffee again and I'm going to skin you." Cameron growled, slapping at his comrade's hand whenever the dragonfly got close. The pokemon buzzed dejectedly and perched itself on the upper tier of the mess hall. Oak covered every surface, from the spacious lower level floors to the staircase leading to the upper terrace. The terrace overlooked the bottom floor from a sectioned banister, and on the upper level were foosball tables, pool tables, and the occasional air hockey table.

Ricochet burst into the mess hall then, wrestling with Cuddy over a mottled branch. The two pokemon snarled rather ferociously at each other, and the snap of jaws clashing echoed off the wooden walls.

"Rico! Cuddy! _Stop it_, now." Melody had barely raised her voice and her two pokemon halted instantly. Even they could tell when their master wasn't in the mood. Melody went into the kitchen and made her usual dragon-eye tea wordlessly, coming out to sit next to Cameron at the counselor's table. Tarkov was already there, reading a thin newspaper and picking at a plate of crepes he had recently made. Hunter and Vick were arguing over birthday decorations, while Shane almost single-handedly arranged the breakfast buffet for Kame's surprise party.

"These streamers are going on the banister if it kills me." She growled, voice growing dangerously venomous as she shook the pink paper in Vick's face.

"Oh, are they now? And what is Ms. Sexy Boss-lady going to do if they don't?" He winked at her and allowed himself the pleasure of a full-body once over. Hunter zipped up the low-cut jacket a few inches and rolled her eyes.

"Ms. Sexy Boss-lady?" She sighed, "Is that all you can come up with?"

"Oh, there's a lot more…but there are virgin ears in here!" He laughed loudly as the campers filed in, rubbing the sleep from their eyes and yawning. Hunter punched Vick in the gut quickly, ordering Teddiursa to help her drape the streamers artistically across the room.

"You're lucky it wasn't your crotch, how long do you think until you're sterile?" She whispered in his ear, pink lips brushing over his lobe, causing him to shudder involuntarily. A wicked grin stretched over his lips and he picked up Hunter with one arm, flipping her over until she was bridal-style in his arms. He dipped her to the floor and planted his lips upon hers. All of this was achieved in under a minute, simultaneously confusing the female counselor and catching her off-guard. Once she realized that once again, her lips were locked with Vick Tatter's, she brought her fist into his crotch and followed through with her shoulder, rolling to avoid his body as he dropped to the floor. Hunter stood up, adjusted her top, and smirked.

"All right everyone, there's Hiro and Kame in the distance, get in position!" Shane called from the upper tier, folding his binoculars and slipping them into his pocket. But before Venice shoved Daisuke out of a crevice she had "called," a tall figure burst through the mess hall door.

"Where's Kame?" The man demanded. He was tall, around six feet, and he sported sturdy looking black corduroys and even darker hiking boots. His hair was brown, jutting out in every direction down to his ears. His eyes were blue, a very familiar shade, and his smile looked familiar as well.

"Who are you? Why are you here at eight in the morning? Don't you ever sleep?" Kai cut off the beginning of Hunter's threats and launched her slew of questions, beginning to shake as she paused for more hot chocolate.

"Hmm? _Hmmm? _Delcatty got your tongue? No? Yes? Emily has a Delcatty! _Show him, Emily!"_ Kai's eyes were wide and pupils dilated, the sugar in her system spiking her blood sugar to serious levels. Riley stood from his hiding spot and shook his head when Emily reached for her bag of pokeballs.

"Don't appease her. It'll just make her crazier." He whispered.

"I CAN HEAR YOU, RILES. YOU'RE TREATING ME LIKE A WILD ANIMAL!" Her teeth looked sharper, eyes wider, as she slunk into a crouch. A low growl boiled in her throat as Riley approached.

"Kaiya, sweetheart. Come to Riles. You don't have to hurt anyone…you're safe with me. Just drop the hot chocolat—"

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO, _RILEY JAMES HANSEN_! THIS IS MY HOT COCOA AND IT WILL STAY THAT WAY!" Riley and Kai locked eyes for a moment before the boy sprung. He reached Kai faster than she could put up a hand to save her warm drink. The hot chocolate cascaded out of her hand and showered the two trainers as Riley tackled her out of the way.

"Uh…." The man said, stepping over the snarling tangle of teenage frustration and approaching Hunter. "My name is Itachi Takeshi. I recently applied to be a counselor, but my applications were declined until," He rummaged for a paper in his backpack. "The Camp reached the Hoenn Region." Tarkov snatched the paper from Itachi's hand and scanned its contents.

"So it does. Well, we're leaving for Hoenn tomorrow. Can you handle a job like this?" He gestured to Kai, who had started gnawing on Riley's cheek.

"Uh…..I'm pretty much cut out for this. Besides, someone has to look out for my little sister, and who's going to do a better job than her own—"

"BIG BROTHER?" A shocked voice cut over the conversation and all eyes fell on Kame Takeshi. Hunter stamped her foot and snarled—her plans of surprising Kame now ruined due to the arrival of this new counselor who would probably try to grope her as well.

"SURPRISE!" All of the trainers and pokemon jumped out simultaneously, knocking over a table and throwing confetti everywhere.

"What the _hell_ is going on?" Kame demanded, running her fingers through her tawny-colored hair before exhaling sharply. Vick raised his hands in defense before explaining.

"Uhh, well, apparently this is your brother, who is going to be a counselor—" Itachi interrupted then.

"Which was another birthday surprise, happy birthday by the way, I was going to tell you—"

"—And Hunter planned this whole breakfast for you, but your brother messed up all the timin—"

"Wait, who the hell is this guy?" Itachi abandoned his story to point at Hiro, whose hand was resting on the small of his younger sister's back.

"Oh, uh, I-tac-c-hi, t-t-this-s is H-h-hiro!" Hiro smoothly extended his long-fingered hand and smiled, repeating his full name without the ghost of a stutter. Kame inwardly kicked herself—why couldn't she just be relaxed, like him?

"Hiro Taminama? And you think you've earned the right to touch my sister?" Itachi growled, getting in Hiro's face.

"Yeah, actually, I have. I've saved her life on numerous occasions, and if you haven't already noticed, we are both half-blind. So this makes a sort of connection that even you wouldn't understand." These words were uttered low, uttered quietly, just for Itachi's ears. Itachi grumbled but turned around to face the camp.

"Well, I guess we should continue with the party, no?" He walked over to the buffet table and started fixing a plate. Hunter crushed the cup in her hand in raw anger, how dare he barge in and wedge himself in everything she had built! Vick saw this anger and was secretly pleased, Hunter didn't like the new guy. He already had enough competition with Shane's arrival, and now he had to keep tabs on the older Takeshi. He rubbed the temples near his shocking pink hair and sighed, he was beginning to get a headache.

XXX

The birthday breakfast went smoothly then, although the majority of the camp was buzzing about the arrival of Itachi Takeshi. He sat next to Kame, after _insisting _that he, (who has been missing for the past ten years) deserves to sit next to his little sister. Hiro, who was now wedged between Itachi and James, turned to James with a huff.

"This is stupid." He hissed.

"Tell me about it, look at Venice." James seethed. Hiro snuck a glance across the table at Venice, who was sitting with her eyes glazed and mouth agape. She had been cutting her pancakes for a good three minutes now, and her knife had sliced clean through the paper and onto the wooden table.

"Stop drooling on me!" Reina squealed, withdrawing her forearm quickly before Venice's lips released another stream of dribble. Venice was completely out of it, and James was quite aware.

XXX

"Here Kame. This is for you." Itachi smiled and handed her a pink box. Kame unwrapped it and lifted the lid, promptly screeching into Hiro's ear as she reached inside.

"A STUFFED ZIGZAGOON! LIKE YOU PROMISED!" She removed the stuffed toy and hugged it to her chest. "And you've sewn a flower to its ear, like my Pikachu!"

"No prob, sis. I thought I'd make it up to you eventually." He winked at Kame and she smiled at her brother, hugging him with her left arm.

"Thanks again, Itachi." She sighed.

"Is it time for presents?" Tarkov asked softly. Everyone, taken aback by his gentleness, gasped simultaneously.

"HERE, PRIVATE TAKESHI. FOR YOUR MERIT AS A TRAINER AND YOUR KINDRED SPIRIT. DON'T EAT IT ALL AT ONCE!" He roared, dropping a thick slab of wrapped chocolate on the table before her. It was about as large as a kickboard, and three inches thick. Kame said nothing as her pupils dilated.

"This….is….beautiful…" Tears filled her icy eye as she thanked the general.

"ANYTIME. NOW, EVERYONE OUT TO THE BATTLEFIELD. IT'S TIME FOR A LESSON."

XXX (CrazyYanmega)

"Team Orion is getting nastier. Every day they grow stronger. You all need to see what kind of things you're up against. Many of the members fought against us in the reverse world war. If you all are going into this battle, you're going to need to see how we fight." Melody instructed, eyes scanning the crowd for a formidable opponent. She smirked when her eyes fell upon her target.

"Ahh, General Tarkov. Humor me." She beckoned him with her hand and the ex-general stood, walking out of the bleachers where the camp was situated. Once Tarkov and Melody were in the clearing before the campers, Cameron shouted from the top bench.

"Ready….set….go!" Both grabbed for their belts, snatching a pokeball with lightning speed.

"Nidoqueen, let's go!" Tarkov roared as he flung a Pokeball high into the air. From it emerged a steely-blue, heavily armored, bipedial Pokemon. "Poison Jab!"

The campers gasped in astonishment as Tarkov's Drill Pokemon charged at Melody, fists glowing bright purple with poison. Melody responded by tossing a fistful of small firecrackers at the face of the Poison/Ground-Type Pokemon. The Nidoqueen reeled back while clutching her face, blinded by the brilliant flashes of light from the fireworks. Melody followed up with a quick downward slash from above with her sword, only to find herself slicing through empty air.

"Rule one: LOOK AFTER YOUR COMRADES!" Tarkov roared at the cowering campers as the last bits of red light withdrew into the safety of the Pokeball in his hand. "Your Pokemon are risking their lives to save yours!" In a quieter voice, he added, "And it's only fair that you do the same for them."

"Rule number two is to attack quickly and without mercy." Melody's clear voice cut through the silence. "Your enemies are looking to kill you, and they will do so without hesitation. And the longer a battle drags on, the more likely it is that enemy reinforcements will arrive. And the quickest way to end a battle is to eliminate the trainer." Plucking a Pokeball from her belt, she threw it into the air. "Yuki, Metal Claw now!"

Melody's Empoleon had barely finished materializing before it was barreling down the arena, the blade-like edges of its wings glowing dangerously.

"Nidoking, Protect!" Tarkov's second Drill Pokemon appeared in a burst of light and projected a green bubble around itself and it's trainer. Yuki bounced off of the forcefield and into the air. "Hydro Pump!" Melody ordered as she plucked another Pokeball from her belt. Yuki responded by launching a torrent of spinning water from her beak in midair. The water rebounded off of Nidoking's Protect, soaking Tarkov's side of the field.

"My turn," Tarkov shouted. "Nidoking, use your Megahorn attack!" The horn emerging from the forehead of the Drill Pokemon began to shine brightly and lengthen as the great beast rammed into Emperor Pokemon at full force, causing the steel penguin to squawk in pain.

"Yuki, get back!" As her Empoleon leaped back to her side of the field, Melody threw the Pokeball in her hand. "Cuddy, Discharge!" Melody's Gleam Eyes Pokemon roared as it unleashed a barrage of electrical energy at Tarkov's Nidoking.

"Is she stupid?" Hiro exclaimed from his seat in the bleachers. "Everyone knows that you can't hurt Ground-Types with Electric-Type moves!" His Jolteon barked in agreement from its trainer's lap.

"No," Cameron replied from a higher seat as Yanmega buzzed around his head excitedly. "I've seen this tactic before. Watch the ground." Sure enough, much of the waterlogged soil on Tarkov's side of the field began sparking with blue arcs of energy that began zapping the purple Drill Pokemon, paralyzing it on the spot. Tarkov growled in annoyance as he recalled his Nidoking.

"A good play, but I've seen it too many times during the war to not have come up with a counter attack! Rhyhorn, come on out!" Tarkov's Spikes Pokemon appeared in a burst of light, and immediately the electrical energy from the ground began flowing through the air and into the Ground/Rock-Type Pokemon's horn.

"Now Rhyhorn, Take Down!" Tarkov yelled as he released his Machamp. "Machamp, Low Kick!" Tarkov's Pokemon moved quickly, Rhyhorn ramming Cuddy while Yuki fell to Machamp's super-effective Fighting-Type move. "Follow it up with Cross Chop!"

"Block with Metal Claw! Cuddy, counter with Iron Tail!" Melody's Luxray managed to smash Ryhorn away with his glowing tail, but her Empoleon succumbed to the intense damage. Frustrated, she called out her Charizard as she recalled Yuki, but the draconic Fire/Flying-Type immediately fell to a Rollout attack from Tarkov's Golem.

"Rule number Three is to press the advantage with strength in numbers!" Tarkov yelled. He had released all of his Pokemon, and Melody's Gleam Eyes Pokemon was struggling to keep ahead of the relentless attack that were being thrown at it.

"Raaayyyyyy!" In a final effort, Melody's Luxray released one last bolt of electricity before falling into unconciousness.

"You did well, Cuddy! Return!" As she faced her opponent, she smirked. "Down to my last fighter, but I'm still gonna win this! Ricochet, show these kids what a warrior looks like!" Melody's Zangoose leaped onto the field from her master's side, causing Kame to flinch from the stands. "All out attack!" Tarkov ordered. "No mercy!" His Pokemon leaped into action, unleashing fearsome battle cries and various energy based attacks.

"Rule number Four," Melody cried out over the din. "Fight with your friends!" Right before the attacks would hit, a green blur appeared. Then nothing could be seen as all was hidden by a roiling cloud of dust.

XXX

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EIN STORM! :D**

**AND THANK YOU CRAZYYANMEGA FOR THE WONDERFUL BATTLE SCENE (CLIFFY ASIDE ^3^)**

**REVIEWREVIEW?**


	25. A Small Favor to Ask

**Hello everyone! Here's the renewed shipping guide (originally made by SJSHARK23) always one of my favs, and this informational chappie is just updates and crappp.**

**OFFICIAL C.C. SHIPPING GUIDE (RENEWED) *********************** (SEE BELOW)**

_BlindEyeShipping: Hiro/Kame (from the fact that both are blind in one eye)_

_AirFlirtShipping: James/Venice (from James' dream of becoming a pilot and Venice's flirtatious nature)_

_RebelShipping: Daisuke/Emily (since Daisuke is a rebel)_

_BrashShipping: Riley/Kaiya (both are very much, well, brash)_

_SarcasmShipping: AC/Magden (since Magden talks to AC with such)_

_FragileShipping: Berane/Talia (since Talia seems so fragile)_

_TwinRangerShipping: Mark/Alex (portmanteau of Twinleaf and Ranger)_

_PaintShipping: Tyler/Jessica (since they first found the paintings)_

_PinkBearShipping: Vick/Hunter (from Vick's hair and the fact that Hunter has a Teddiursa)_

_RedDroidShipping: Setsuna/Reiji (from Setsuna's nodes in her back to Reiji's miracle "red" drink)_

_Sid/Emily: TheifShipping (Since Sid stole a kiss from her)_

_Johnny/Emily: ShoutShipping (Since Johnny shouted to her from the stage)_

_Sid/Johnny: BandShipping (Since both are in the same band)_

_Pitbull Shipping: Aaron/Sari (Both are as mean as pitbulls)_

_FierceBugShipping: Hunter/Cameron (because of Hunter being ferocious and Cameron'sYanmega)_

_ReverseSwordShipping: Cameron/Melody (Reverse World War History/Melody's Katana)_

_CoolFireShipping: Hunter/Shane (Since Hunter is fiery and Shane can keep a cool head) _

_CanaclaveSweetShipping: Adrianne/Skyler (Both from Canaclave, and they have a sweet demeanor.) _

_JealousLooksShipping: Nick/Reina (Both get insanely jealous/cause jealousy, and both are attractive) _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

So right now, here's a list of all the characters I currently have.

Hiro Taminama

Riley Hansen

James Curtis

Anthony James Carter

Reiji Asakura

Berane Dimonis

Sid Vicious

Johnny Rotten

Skyler Court

Daisuke Nakamura

Itachi Takeshi

Cameron Torvenal

Vick Tatter

Nikolas Tarkov

Nick Spectra

Aaron Young

Betelgeuse

Markus Pearl

XXXXX

Kame Takeshi

Kaiya

Venice Quinn Drawden

Magden Errow

Setsuna Aozaki

Talia Martino

Emily Johnson

Adrianne Montdor

Hunter Larsen

Melody Kirkland

Reina Yuki

Sari Iralla

Mintaka

Alex Cesarini

**So obviously, I have a female deficit. I'm warning everyone, I'm hacking off like six people the next chapter. I'm not saying how, (loss of interest? Freak crepe accident?) but its time for some people to leave!**

**Deciding who, is also a secret ^_^ This is horrible to admit but I do play favorites when it comes to my characters, and if I don't necessarily like the character anymore, then its time for bye byes :D **

********SOOO a final note, REVIEW THIS CHAPPIE AND TELL ME WHAT **_**TWO**_** PAIRINGS YOU LIKE THE BEST, AND THE **_**ONE**_** YOU LIKE THE LEAST. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO PICK PAIRINGS, THEN THE TOP THREE CHARACTERS YOU LIKE AND THE BOTTOM THREE YOU DON'T. This will help me decide about hacking people off. **************

**Thanks my lovely lovely readers. **

**-Katie **


	26. A Change in the Weather

**All right, everyone! Thanks for your contributions to chapter 25, I've made my decisions for "hacking off" people. It will all work out in the end, so no fears!**

**Check out these things for me please: **

**1-The Forums**

**2-ImaginationDomination's C.C. Oneshot (Paintshipperfans, delight!) **

**3- My new story, **_**The Life of a Soldier**_

**Thanks for being ever-so-loyal. You readers keep me sane by keeping up with all my writing ishhh!**

**So please enjoy chapter 26! **

**XXX**

When the dust settled, Yanmega had taken the majority of the attacks, taking serious damage to protect Ricochet. Ricochet blinked slowly, slightly taken by the sudden protectiveness. Melody stole a glance at Cameron. The counselor shrugged as if to say, "_I didn't do this, just go with it_." The trainer smirked and Melody returned to the battle.

"Okay, Rico! This is our last shot! Quick attack! Yanmega, use Steel Wing!" The two pokemon glowed brilliantly and shot from their positions on the battle ground. Ricochet, crimson fur flying, darted to Rhyhorn's sensitive stomach to land a crippling hit. Pivoting to avoid the Megapunch that Tarkov's Machamp unleashed, Ricochet responded with an unprompted Iron Tail between Machamp's eyes. Yanmega landed his first strike, but despite his 360 degree vision he blinked at the wrong second. While Nidoqueen finally succumbed to the razing slash of Yanmega's steel wing, the cloud of debris kicked up by her body smashing into the ground obscured the vision of the dragonfly.

"Rule Five," Tarkov shouted, "savor the silence! Your enemies are attracted to light and noise, and in a dust cloud or the dead of night, both are fatal mistakes!" He cut off talking then, waiting for Golem to pick up his command. Tarkov tapped the toe of his combat boot in the dirt twice, silently ordering a rock smash. Golem responded with the scuffling of her own scaled feet, crouching low for the attack.

Yanmega, still shining with steel wing residual, stood out like a sore thumb. Golem scooped raw earth from below her feet, hurtling the boulders within a second of their extraction. The rocks struck Yanmega as forcefully as a car would, sending the bug pokemon sprawling back on the earth. Ricochet scrambled toward her companion and brushed the dirt from his crumpled form.

"Get up, Yanmega! You've seen worse!" Cameron shouted, standing abruptly and knocking the soda out of Nick's hand. The drink crashed over Reina's auburn hair, dripping down her pale skin and soaking her white shorts.

"SPECTRA!" She roared, turning around from her seat in the bench below and backhanding the trainer. Nick took the hit full on, sitting still and saying nothing. Still silent, he rose and stepped down a level, standing within inches of the now sticky Reina.

"Well? You're not going to do anything about it, so you might as well sit down no—oomph!" She broke off, air rushing from her lungs as Nick hoisted her over his shoulder. He brushed the brown hair from his eyes, coughed once and scratched the scar trailing down his neck. Reina, deciding to be cooperative, stopped struggling and began to pluck loose threads from the ultra-ball logo on Nick's black hoodie. When he exited the bleachers he promptly dumped Reina in the nearest mud puddle and returned to his seat.

XXX

The battle ensued, and Ricochet and Yanmega had (together) brought down Golem and Machamp. All who remained were Nidoqueen and Rhyhorn.

"Notice the effectiveness of Rule Four, which was to fight with your friends!" Melody stuck her tongue out playfully at Tarkov, who growled low in response.

"Take down, Rhyhorn!" He snarled. "Strike for home!" The beast's eyes grew red with rage as he charged.

"Now we see the final rule, Rule Number Six! _Never_ strike first! Use your opponent's power against them!" Melody snapped her fingers and Ricochet jumped high in the air. Rhyhorn swung into empty space, completely missing the desired target.

"Asteriod Crusher! Do it, Mells!" Cameron cheered from the stands. With an excited grin Melody prompted the attack. Yanmega burst from the tree he was perching in and up to catch Ricochet before she landed on the ground. The pokemon climbed higher and higher into the air, until the pair was barely visible.

Yanmega buzzed to Ricochet, questioning whether his companion was ready. Ricochet growled a yes and Yanmega quickly fell into a power dive. His wax-like wings beat fervently, increasing their speed to staggering levels. The dive now turned almost vertical, a straight down plummet towards Rhyhorn and Nidoqueen.

Ricochet extended her claws in front of Yanmega's face, priming for her Crush Claw attack. Her claws shone brilliantly as Yanmega recognized the cue for an Ancient Power. Combining Ancient Power and a thunderbolt from Ricochet, the attack was transferred directly to Ricohet's claws. Yanmega banked left and circled the two powerhouses, ejecting Ricochet in the process. She aimed the large yellow-and-monochrome colored ball of energy at her opponents, and once it struck the battlefield exploded in light.

When the clearing dimmed, Nidoqueen and Rhyhorn were unconscious. Yanmega buzzed around Ricochet happily, and the two exchanged a brief but fierce embrace. Melody cheered up at Cameron, who waved back with an elated grin.

"You know, they often_ say_ that a pokemon's feelings reflect the feelings of the trainer." Gesturing to the frolicking pokemon, his assessment wasn't far off. Daisuke suddenly was jerked out of his seat by the collar of his black shirt. Before he could reorient his vision he met the piercing black gaze of Cameron.

"What was that, kid?" His voice was venomous.

"I said: When did you grow a spine?" Cameron's eyes grew narrow and scathing, a look so intense that Daisuke instantly regretted his word choice. Cameron snapped his fingers and Yanmega flit to his side in an instant. Cameron gave Yanmega the nod and with surprising speed Daisuke was lifted into the air by the dragonfly pokemon.

"DO YOU ENJOY PUBLIC HUMILIATION, KID?" Cameron roared, snapping his fingers once more. Yanmega, with a giggling buzz, dumped Daisuke into the mud pit with Reina. With more mud caked onto her clothing, the girl began to cry. Her tears left clean streaks of skin on her cheeks, and the sight of the two of them was enough to make the entire camp laugh. Tarkov, watching the scuffle, recalled the last of his team and marched up to the red-haired boy. Daisuke's ginger locks now were sticky with mud, and his mouth was also obscured by the filth.

"PRIVATE NAKAMURA. ALWAYS THE ENTERTAINER, ARE WE? WIPE THAT SMIRK OFF YOUR FACE!" He bent down until he was eye-level with the delinquent.

"I'm not smiling." Daisuke said.

"I'm not smiling, _sir." _Tarkov corrected.

"There's no need to call me sir, General." Daisuke, realizing the risk of his taunt, jumped to his feet. Tarkov calmly reached for his ankle and dragged him back down.

"Very cute, Nakamura. Clever. Well, you do realize the consequences for an _adorably cute_ comment like that?" He raised his eyebrows and batted the lashes framing his grey eyes, a sarcastic version of an inquiring expression.

"A pat on the back?" He inwardly winced.

"MORE LIKE A PAT ON YOUR DIGNITY! FROM NOW ON, YOU CAN ENJOY THE _PRIVELEGE _OF EATING IN YOUR UNDERWEAR. _SLEEPING_ IN THEM, _TRAINING_ IN THEM, TRAVELLING IN THEM. IF YOU WERE IN MY PLATOON, YOU'D BE SUBJECTED TO MUCH MORE TORTURE. BUT BECAUSE YOU'RE A MINOR, AND I'M RETIRED, _THIS IS THE EXTENT OF WHAT I'M ALLOWED TO DO_!" Everyone knew that Tarkov was loud, but no one thought he could reach this level. His words probably echoed off the Johtoian Mountains. Tarkov stood, brushed off his olive green muscle shirt and inhaled slowly.

"EVERYONE DISMISSED."

XXX

By lunchtime Daisuke was in a state of rage. After a shower in the camp bathrooms and a fresh pair of underwear to tromp around in, he stationed himself in the mess hall with a new Sudoku book. After the first puzzle was complete, the lead in his pencil snapped. Emily (who was sitting across from him) looked up from her book to gaze at him.

"Are you okay?" She whispered, trying not to draw attention to the fuming boy across from her. Daisuke looked into her blue eyes, looked at how the dark brown hair framed her face, down her neck and the blue shirt she was wearing, and shook his head. Seeing Emily in all of her quiet beauty calmed him, but it wasn't enough to stave off the annoyances of two certain British boys. Bursting into the mess hall with Hiro in tow, they walked up the staircase and to the upper tier to play their music. Daisuke watched Sid lock eyes with Emily. The way he looked at her….the pencil snapped in half in his strong grip. The yellow wood splintered in his hand and littered the pages of the puzzle book.

"Daisuke…relax. Just take a deep brea—"

"I KNOW WHAT TO DO, JOHNSON! I DON'T NEED YOUR ADVICE OR YOUR HELP!" He exploded, slamming the booklet and the shattered pencil on the wooden table's surface. He stormed away then, snapping his fingers to prompt his Banette to follow.

"FINE, ASSHOLE! YOU'VE JUST GOTTEN RID OF THE ONLY PERSON WHO GIVES A SHIT ABOUT YOU!" She screamed back, hurtling the book at the back of his head. It struck the ginger and fell to the floor. The move was so sudden and so utterly shocking that it seemed as if the silence was sucked from the room. He turned, gritting his jaw, and opened his mouth.

"You are a bitch. A bitch! You're a lying piece of shi—"

"Care to finish tha' sentence, Gingey?" Sid called from the upper balcony. Daisuke set his gaze on the British boy now, who had started walking down the stairs and over to Emily.

"Stay out of this, prick." He warned, taking a step toward Emily. Sid laughed and stepped in front of the girl.

"Ahh, but here's where you're wrong, fire crotch. Ya don't go near 'er wittout goin' through meh." He shrugged out of the leather jacket he was wearing and handed it to Emily. She took the jacket as he challenged Daisuke further.

"Wot makes you think tha' you can jus' talk rubbish on me girl, ere?"

"Your girl? _Your girl? _Emily's been obsessed with me since the first day I stepped into this camp!" He accused, pointing past Sid's black spiky hair and toward the now-blushing Emily. Sid smirked now, wiping the corner of his mouth with his thumb knuckle.

"I see. Well it's gonna be a roarin' tuff, won't it?" He straightened his white t-shirt, which had a large red "R" emblazoned on the front, not unlike the team rocket uniform.

"You're dressed like a freak." Daisuke sneered. Sid spit on the space between him and Daisuke and smirked again.

"There's nothin' wrong with my threads, ya bleedin' idiot." He glanced at his black drainpipe jeans, which hugged his lanky legs until they disappeared into a pair of black motorcycle boots. Around his left thigh was a white ribbon, tied tight in a big knot. He even touched a hand to the padlock and chain around his tanned neck. Sid laughed, and continued to taunt the ginger-haired boy.

"At least I've got clothes, ya wanker." Daisuke charged at Sid, who turned on his left boot heel and avoided a blow to the face.

"Not gonna fight me? Are you scared, you British asshole?" Daisuke swung again, this time with his left arm, ringed fist aiming for Sid's nose. The iron cross ring split Sid's nose like a ripe melon, sending blood spurting from the British boy's face and onto the wooden floor. Sid laughed even harder, spitting blood from his mouth and forcing it out of his airways.

"You wanna fight, gingey? Round two ain't gonna be broke up by ol' Tarkov!" He reached for a fistful of Daisuke's orange hair and yanked, pulling away clumps of the red-colored strands with one tug. He lunged forward again and pressed his weight against the screaming Daisuke, whose head was bleeding profusely as well. Johnny sprung into action and slid down the banister, pulling Emily away from the bloody snarling and over to a table, seating her next to Adrianne and Skyler. Emily's blue eyes were swollen and red from crying, and her expression was one of pure confusion. Does she stop the fight between the two guys? Who should she pick? Adrianne sighed and picked small strands of Daisuke's hair out of Emily's with a delicate hand.

Daisuke, lacking adequate footwear, slipped in the pool of blood and landed hard on his hip. Sid pounced on the red head, wrapping his thin yet strong legs around Daisuke's midsection and squeezing. The air was forced out of Daisuke's diaphragm in a long _whoosh. _Now that he had little to no oxygen in his system, Sid placed a punch square to his enemy's jaw. Daisuke's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slipped into unconsciousness.

"An' thas what happens when ye mess wit me, or me girl." He spit on Daisuke's sleeping body and laughed. Sid looked to Emily, who could only give him an expression of pure disappointment.

"Whas wrong, love?" He walked over to her quickly, wincing when she turned away from his touch.

"Why would you do such a thing?" Emily whispered. Realizing a large and probably uncomfortable argument was coming, Skyler scooped up Bevo (his Volbeat) and crept away quietly with Adrianne in tow. Setsuna and Reiji had migrated to the upper tier, and the quiet click of Setsuna's laptop meant she had probably recorded the entire fight. Johnny and Hiro retreated into the kitchen, peeking over the counter to eavesdrop.

"Why would you do such a thing? Daisuke doesn't mean any harm!" Emily was shaken and irrational, her words contradictory of the actual situation.

"Love, he was gonna hit ye. I couldn't lettim do tha'." He reached for her hand and clasped it.

"No…Daisuke is all talk. He's a good guy. He's…" She broke off, realizing how false her words sounded.

"Emily, dearie, if he was all talk do ye think his talk did this to me beautiful nose?" He pointed a blood-stained finger toward his face, which was barely starting to scab over. A small sob escaped from Emily's lips as she leaned into Sid.

"I'm sorry, Sid. I just was so attracted to the bad-boy thing he was putting on that I didn't realize how dangerous he actually is. He could've h-hit me." More tears ran down her pale face.

"Ahh, love, it's allrigh'. Yer safe with ol' Sid Vicious!" He gave her his signature grin, his half-crooked smile that won the hearts of hundreds of fangirls.

Tarkov kicked down the door, ready to brutally interrogate whoever left the supply cabinet open, but was stopped at the sight of Sid and Daisuke. He marched over to the unconscious boy and nudged him with his boot.

"YOU! QUEEN OF ENGLAND! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE?" He demanded.

"Sir, Daisuke was gunna hit Emms, sir." Sid mumbled. Tarkov bent down and inspected the British boy's nose.

"So, you're a goddamned knight in shining armor. You've got guts, solider! You've been promoted to Sergeant Sid! How do you feel?" He clapped Sid on the back with a mighty hand, sending the new "Sergeant" sprawling off the chair and onto the floor.

"G-great, sir. Can we fix my nose, please?"

Tarkov merely laughed and shook his head, lifting Daisuke with one arm and walking from the mess hall.

XXX

When Daisuke awoke, he was thankful that he was clothed. He sat up quickly, too quickly, and fell back down as another roll of nausea swept over him. He dared to open his amber eyes and saw Tarkov, sitting behind an oaken desk with gold-rimmed spectacles on his nose. The general addressed him without looking up.

"Good morning, beauty queen. Look who's decided to pay your sorry ass a visit." He clapped twice and the door to his office opened. Two red-haired people walked in and sat in the cloth-covered chairs before the general. Daisuke's stomach dropped into his knees. He knew this would not go well.

"You two _are_ Kaede and Tarou Nakamura, correct? Can I see some identification?" Kaede Nakamura raised a manicured brow—how dare anyone question her identity? As if reading her mind, Tarkov sighed and removed his glasses.

"I apologize, ma'am. The last time someone came in to retrieve a less-than-civil child the parent turned out to be a murderer." Tarou choked on the water he had been offered, almost spraying it in the general's face. Kaede blinked in disbelief and pulled her driver's license out of her leather wallet.

"Very well, thank you. As you can see, your son has been less than tolerable over the duration of my camp. He is rude, disrespects authority, and has gotten into two or three fights. This behavior is less than acceptable. In fear of the well being of my other campers I have to ask you to remove your son from this program, no matter how smart or how good of a trainer he is. If he's laying his hands on my campers, then it's just as fair to turn him over to you two." Tarkov slid a goldenrod colored sheet of paper across to Tarou, who removed a pen from his suit pocket and clicked it open.

"If you'd just sign here…here…and initial here…good. I'm sorry to say that I'm going to miss the spunk in your child. If he were ten years older I'd tell him to join the army." Kaede nodded once and rose.

"Thank you General Tarkov. My husband and I are extremely sorry that we had to come here. Please disregard our son's behavior and hopefully he can be re-enrolled once you all reach the Sinnoh Region." She bowed low, dragged Tarou down with her. Tarkov shook the woman's hand and gestured to the still-dazed Daisuke on the couch behind them.

"He's all yours. Find Itachi Takeshi, our newest counselor. He's got your son's things."

XXX

"Everyone, move out! It's time to make the trek across Johto and into Hoenn! One of my favorite regions, to be quite honest." Cameron called, stacking his luggage in the counselor's compartment. Yanmega flit around from cabin to cabin, rallying the campers and urging them to hurry.

Shane and Itachi started to load the buses, hauling the assorted luggage into the undercarriage of the blackened bus. The heat of July grew blistering in the early morning, and it got so uncomfortable Itachi removed his shirt. Venice dropped the box of cooking utensils in her hands, pupils growing wide and mouth falling agape. She watched the muscles contract in his back, watched his toned body lift her cheetah-print luggage and put it in the bus.

"Good idea, Itachi. I'm gonna die of a heat stroke." Shane also peeled off his white t-shirt, wiping the mullet-like haircut from his deep blue eyes.

"Tarkov, where do you want these?" Hiro walked out of the mess hall with a cardboard box of dishes. The box was large and obscured his body, but when he set it by the bus it was revealed that he too was shirtless. Today Hiro had chosen to tie a black bandana around his forehead, to ditch the drainpipes for a pair of cutoffs, and to adorn a pair of black ray-bans.

"Over in the third compartment. And what is this shirtless nonsense, solider! In the Four Regions War one would NEVER remove his uniform, no matter how high the temperatures got! You all are gonna give the women a heart attack!" Although the statement was referring to the supposed indecency and ugliness that came with being shirtless, everyone else took it as an attempt for attraction. _Especially _Venice. Yanmega shielded his vision from the sight of the shirtless men, and almost buzzed in anger when Cameron joined them.

"Nothing like a good breeze, huh Yanmega?" The dragonfly did an anime fall, shaking himself off to shield Ricochet's eyes from the indecency.

"Are we having a shirt-off? No pun intended!" Riley laughed, tearing away his flannel as fast as anyone could utter 'pokeball'. Setsuna rolled her eyes and scowled at her computer screen.

"It's so refreshing to know that you're above being half-naked unless you have to be, Reiji." She tapped away at her keyboard, unaware that he was no longer over her shoulder.

"Reiji?" Setsuna looked up and almost slapped her forehead. Reiji also removed his white long-sleeved shirt and piled it on his pokeball jacket, high fiving Hiro enthusiastically. Venice got two nosebleeds and a small case of heart palpitations at this point.

"Totodile, Water Gun. Make it cold." Setsuna pulled the pokeball from the pocket of her black pants and tossed it at Venice's feet. The crocodilian pokemon sent a blast of frigid water at the Drawden girl, who snapped out of her lustful trance and started screaming. Her dark hair was now wet and tangled on her head, and her black and white striped shirt clung to her torso.

"There. Now maybe we can all just relax."

XXX

"Meissa to base. They're on the move." Sari watched the C.C. bus pull away from Johto National Park and turn onto the highway.

"_Good. They're going to Hoenn. Time to act. Return to base immediately, and bring your little friend." _Betelgeuse's voice ordered. The transmission ended and Sari slipped the red walkie-talkie back into her shoulder bag. The young trainer climbed out of the sequoia she stationed herself in and landed on the grassy ground.

"C'mon, Aaron. Back to base." Aaron whistled to Grim and leapt on his back. The colossal Arcanine bounded straight for Sari and grabbed her by the collar of her red track jacket. Tossing her on his back Grim sped off into the high grasses, rushing to get back home.

At the Orion Hideout, the two young accomplices discovered that the entire place was bare. Paintings, files, décor, furniture, and personal belongings were all stacked by the entrance hall.

"Betelgeuse? Are we moving?" Sari asked, opening the box labeled "Meissa" and peeking inside. Her changes of clothing, duffel bag, and various cosmetic bags were stuffed inside. Followed by Zara, Betelgeuse entered the hall with a box labeled "Weapons of mass destruction."

"Yes. We have the three Terrors. Now we need the powers of Earth, Sea, and Air." He placed the box next to one labeled, "Beetie's Underwear."

"Earth, Sea, and Air?" Aaron asked. "What legendaries are those?" He quickly scanned through the species of legendary he knew but none fit the description. Betelgeuse pulled a folded square of paper from his pocket and handed it to the wolf-like boy. He unfolded the aged yellow paper and looked over its contents.

All over the page were indecipherable runes, but the three images that stood out most were sketches of three enormous pokemon. Standing in the mouth of a volcano was a pokemon tall and fierce, with red armor on its body and long silver claws on its hands. Its eyes were yellow and dark, and there were sharp-looking spines all over its body.

"Who is this?" Sari asked, pointing to the red beast.

"This is the legendary Groudon. The pokemon is said to rule the Earth, it is said that Groudon has the power to expand continents. It is closely associated with volcanoes, hence its red color, and its power is unfathomable. Groudon is the first key to the second puzzle."

"And this blue one?" Aaron touched an image of an enormous pokemon with two wings (or fins) on its sides. It was colored like the ocean, with red outlining and claws on the end of each appendage. Its tail was feathered and sleek, four separate pieces working in unison as one. The beast was settled in the ocean, with huge waves crashing over its white-spotted back.

"That's Kyogre. The guardian of the seas. Kyogre also wields immense power, as it rules over the oceans and it rules the power to expand them. Kyogre and Groudon have had feuds for centuries, fighting for the dominance of whatever they themselves controlled. Groudon wants more land, while Kyogre wants more sea. If you look at our world, however, there is a considerably larger amount of water covering its surface. This means—"

"Kyogre is more powerful." Aaron concluded, smiling when Betelgeuse nodded a confirmation.

"And the last is Rayquaza. He is notable for its ability to soothe the other members of the Weather trio, when angered. Rayquaza is capable of using various powerful elemental attacks that it shoots from its mouth. Rayquaza can negate the effects of the weather. Without him, Kyogre and Groudon will tear the world apart when they awaken." Sari and Aaron exchanged glances before handing the paper back to Betelgeuse.

"So. Pack it up. We're going to the Cave of Origin."

XXX

"AC, I don't feel good." Magden shivered terribly in her seat, despite the fact that the sweltering heat had all but ignited the bus.

"I feel it too. Ho-Oh and Lugia are restless." His marks pulsated with light as they approached the Brass and Tin Towers. His stomach rolled and AC was overcome with nausea. He pulled down the window and vomited Vick's breakfast of gourmet French toast. The smell only amplified Magden's nausea, and she shoved her friend aside to throw up as well. Cameron slammed on the brakes of the bus and turned around.

"What's wrong? Are you okay? Are you going to be sick again?" He asked. Magden wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her black jacket and shook her head. AC shook his head as well, shaking his black hair out of his eyes and ears. Cameron sighed and pulled over anyway, ordering everyone out of the bus. The camp lined up outside of the Brass and Tin Towers, listening to a lecture from Hunter while the male counselors cleaned the bus.

"Okay, Hunter's Tentacruel is rinsing the sides. Hmm, I've got it! Mamoswine, come on out!" The large mammoth-like pig lumbered over to lick Cameron's face.

"Yes, nice to see you too. Use ice beam on the interior of the bus after we've shut all the windows." Itachi and Shane ran down the aisle of the bus, yanking the windows and locking them into place.

"Kame! Come here!" Itachi called. Kame jogged over with a confused look.

"What?"

"Bring out Meganium and ask her to use Sweet Scent in the car. Everything smells like vomit." Kame shrugged and released the herb pokemon, commanding it to do as her brother told. Meganium expelled an unbearably sweet odor that masked every trace of the stench of stomach bile. With a quick hug and a thank you from her master, the large pokemon was returned.

"Now, Mamoswine. Use ice beam!" The ice covered every surface of the bus, from the windowpanes down to the wooden floor. It dropped the temperature inside around forty degrees, until it was a chilly and comfortable environment.

"Okay, everyone! The bus is ready!" Shane called, hopping off the roof of the bus and back onto the dirt road. The campers filed in the now freezing vehicle, sighing in relief at the change in temperature.

"Errow. AC. Come on." Vick ordered. But Magden would not move. The pull of the towers was too swaying, too alluring. Her nausea dissipated the second she got near the place.

"I need to stay here. With Ho-Oh." She said dreamily, stumbling toward the brass tower. AC tried to grab her hand but she swatted it away. Upon their touch AC's marks shined, and he fell into a trance as well.

"Vick. We must stay. The spirit world needs us. We can keep watch. We need to stay. We need to stay." An orange-robed monk walked out of the Tin Tower and greeted the camp.

"Are you interested in a tour?" He smiled and invited them in. Vick growled and got off, storming over to the tower as the camp watched from the bus windows.

"Listen, these kids here—"

"Are marked by the birds. They cannot deny the source of their power, which manifests so strongly here. Being far from this source will make them weak. It will make them lose the connection the bird has made with them."

Vick's mouth opened, as if to protest, but it shut after a few moments.

"This is the best thing for them?" The monk nodded, pulling back his right sleeve. On his pale skin were intertwined marks, a spiral of red and blue that pulsated slowly.

"I will teach them. Protect them. They will always be able to reach you, if only in your dreams." The monk offered to retrieve AC and Magden's belongings, and waved goodbye as the bus doors shut.

XXX

**Okay, everyone. I'm leaving this shortened because I'm going on vacation this weekend! Please review and tell me what you think. I was more merciful when hacking this chapter, deciding to spread out the hackings over a few other chappies. Sorry Daisuke, your character was awesome but I had to let you go. As for AC and Magden, what new adventures await in the spirit world? Happy camping, my readers! : ) **

**Love, Katie **


	27. It Ain't Easy Being Queasy

**Hello all, **

**Here's the next installment of Camp Catchem'all ! Now we're venturing into the HOENN REGION! Mind you all that OC submissions are closed, and sorry if your characters leave! Gotta make room for the newbs :O**

**Please review and check out LOAS (life of a soldier) my other story! If you enjoy Tarkov you'll love that story :D**

**Thanks again, and review! Criticism and feedback only make me a better writer.**

**XXX**

"Don't we all just _love _the ocean breeze?" Vick crooned, pulling Hunter's green hair back as she vomited over the side of the ferry. She gripped the railing of the boat until her knuckles turned white.

"Jeez, babe. Didn't know your stomach was this weak." Her chundering stopped momentarily. She wheeled around, wiping spit from her mouth, and punched Vick in the gut. He doubled over and inhaled sharply. Upon smelling Hunter's vomit, and feeling the roll of being punched, Vick threw up as well.

"Hah! Whose stomach is weak now?"

"Will you two knock it off? I'm trying to make some observations here!" Cameron growled. Hunter rolled her green eyes and ruffled her co-workers short black hair with her non-vomit-y hand.

"Keep taking notes, Cam. Sorry to bug you." With a smile she sauntered into the galley. Vick, noticing the brief and uncharacteristically civil exchange between the two, became angry. It also didn't help that Itachi was smirking at him from a few yards away.

"Assholes." He groaned, vomiting bile and saliva over the boat once more.

XXX

"C.C. CAMPERS! ASSEMBLE ON THE TOP DECK IMMEDIATELEY!" Tarkov boomed. Within a few minutes everyone was seated in the deck chairs on the upper terrace of the ferry. For the first day of August the weather was surprisingly cool, with a crisp salty breeze and a less than blistering sun. Tarkov had donned a black t-shirt and black cargo pants, tucked into his usual combat boots. His hair had been buzzed short and his tags were polished.

"Lookin' sharp, mate." Johnny grinned, revealing an unclean smile. Tarkov raised a brow.

"Private Rotten! Does the word toothbrush occur in your vocabulary?" The general asked. Johnny shrugged.

"My mouth's not a problem to me, sir." Tarkov "hmmped" and addressed the camp.

"That—over there—" He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "—Is the Hoenn region. A proud island nation with countless species of pokemon. That is where our third installment of this camp will be. Mind you, we will not be staying in one place for more than three days. The current threats of Team Orion are keeping us mobile." He paced the deck with his muscled arms tight behind his back.

"We also need to thwart them. We know they're going for the legendaries. So now would be the time to fess up. Who else has a connection to the legendaries?" Melody chimed in. Everyone glanced out of the corner of their eyes at each other, waiting for the moment when someone would fess up.

"I used to be visited by the North Wind, if that counts." Kai said boldly. She dropped the line of her jeans to reveal the space between her hip and her belly button. On that patch of skin were delicate blue swirls, mixed with wisps of purple and white.

"It seems like everyone in this damn camp has something special about them." Itachi grumbled.

"You're just jealous because you're unmarked." Shane laughed.

"You aren't either!" He retorted. Hunter turned toward the sound of the argument and Itachi straightened his spine, aware his co-worker was watching. Shane shrugged and decided to taunt the already angry Itachi. He stooped slightly, low enough to hiss in his ear, "You're just jealous because Hunter _likes me more than you._" Itachi gripped the side railing of the boat, the tendons in his arms stretching taut.

"Shut up, Shane." James growled. Shane looked up from his quiet torment and smiled in a standoffish way.

"Whatever you say, little bro. Go back to your girlfriend." James blushed slightly, hiding the flush of his skin while pretending to rearrange the choppy brown hair over his blue eyes. Venice, oblivious to the taunt, stared off into the ocean with emerald eyes. The breeze shifted her black hair wildly around her shoulders and back, and she had a sudden spark of inspiration.

"Blaster, come out! Let's go for a swim!" She leapt from the side of the ferry, pulling a pokeball from her pocket and chucking it towards the foamy surf. Emerging from an explosion of light was her Blastoise, who landed with a huge splash. Venice touched upon Blaster's shell with practiced agility, pivoting to wave at the other C.C. members on the ferry's deck.

"She's an odd one, that Venice." Tarkov noted, stuffing another mouthful of the crepes he had taken from the galley.

XXX

"So Kaiya, you've been touched by the North Wind?" Melody asked. Kai nodded, stroking the mark with the pad of her thumb. Upon her touch the marks pulsated, sending one vibration rippling through her pale skin and shifting the short black hair on her head. Her violet eyes seemed brighter, more vivid, when the marks were aglow.

"It all started when I was really little…"

_She only recalls the smell of the wind. Nothing more. Flashes of a large, canine-looking pokemon loom above her, protecting her, but these visions are as fleeting as Suicune herself. One day, while climbing trees, Kaiya fell from the branches of the redwood. Before she plummeted to her death, she remembers a sharp, icy smell and a chilling wind. She wasn't falling anymore…she was safe. In the care of a large, purple and blue creature, she never felt fear, only the cold from the wind. But one day the blue creature never returned. The only reminder Kaiya ever received of the encounters was the icy wind that caressed her every once in awhile…_

She snapped from the memory, brushing off the frigid wind that pestered her now.

"Interesting." Melody said, touching her mouth with two painted nails. She did this whenever she was thinking deeply.

"Do you think you could summon Suicune? Maybe meditating, like AC and Mags?" Adrianne asked. Her hair was tied in pink ribbons today, contrasting sharply with her dark green eyes and hair. Kaiya merely shrugged.

"AC's and Magden's marks covered their entire bodies. They're part of something bigger than I ever was. I used to play in the forest and the North Wind would protect me every once in awhile. Nothing special. Nothing prophecy-worthy." She touched the mark again and it faded.

"Well don't sell yourself short just yet, missy. We might have to call upon your gift in the coming months." Vick said. He was perched on the railing Venice had leapt off of, ditching his usual tuxedo for a pair of teal swim trunks and a white tank top. Duke, his Gallade, had taken to sunbathing on the deck above the camp. After that solemn discussion had ended, and no others had admitted to a legendary connection, the meeting broke and everyone went about their way. Cameron was taking notes on a flock of Wingull flying overhead, assisted with buzzes from Yanmega. Adrianne and Skyler had found a deck of cards and were playing snap on the lower deck. Her Frosslass was sneaking looks at Skyler's Houndoom, almost as often as Adrianne snuck looks at Skyler.

"Hah! That's three rounds now! Better start learning, Adrianne. You're getting your ass kicked." He stuck his tongue out mockingly and Adrianne rolled her eyes. _Imbecile_. But that didn't stop the smile that crept onto her lips.

Kame and Talia changed into matching white bikinis, laying out towels and catching some sun. Talia piled her long curly hair atop her head, tying it with a large white ribbon. Kame had braided her tawny locks and put on Hiro's black ray-bans. The half-blind boy in question was challenging Reiji and Nick to a tag battle with Riley. The two Kantonian natives lined up on the top sundeck, which had lines painted in case the urge to battle arose. And testosterone-filled adolescent males often felt the urge to battle.

Alex stepped up to call the match. Her long brown hair whipped with the wind, almost loosening the blue headband that kept her hair in place. Her blue skirt also rippled with the breeze, making her outfit reminiscent of flowing water.

"Two on two match, one pokemon each! The first team to have successfully felled the opponent's team will be the winner! Begin!" She threw her hands in the air and Hiro sprang into action.

"It's time, Torterra!" The leafy beast was colossal compared to Hiro. The tree on his back was flowering now, and when he shook his branches soft pink petals fell away in the breeze. Riley called out his Typhlosion, whose collar-like neck fur blazed in anticipation for the battle. Nick laughed at the display, a jaunting sound, and snapped his fingers. His Umbreon leapt up onto the sundeck from the middle tier, hissing low in his throat. Reiji said nothing as his small Riolu took her place next to Umbreon.

"Let's show em, Umbreon! Shadow ball!" A mass of dark energy gathered at the jaws of the Umbreon until it was ready to fire. Nick looked sideways at Reiji, who nodded.

"Rio, Aura Sphere! Combine the attacks and use Psychic!" Umbreon, unable to contain the dark matter any longer, released the attack and stumbled backward from its force. Riolu acted quickly, chasing the Shadow ball with a smaller, more precise Aura sphere. The eyes of the tiny doglike pokemon glowed brightly as she used Psychic to control the mass.

"Torterra! Protect!" Hiro roared. Torterra was unable to generate a strong enough shield for both of the large pokemon, and the opposing attack shattered the tortoise's defenses. Typhlosion was knocked senseless by the combined attack, needing a second to reorient himself.

"Typh! Fire spin, _now!_ Aim for Umbreon!" An ocean of fire tumbled from the beast's jaws and engulfed the sundeck in heat and radiance. Nick's Umbreon, recharging from the shadow ball, took the brunt of the hit. Riolu was burned indirectly by the blast. Her bluish fur was singed a dark purple-brown, an unattractive color on such a cute pokemon.

"Make it rain, Umbreon!" Nick growled. Jumping about in an intricate dance, storm clouds rolled above the sea and it began to pour. Kame and Talia screeched their protests from the lower deck, outraged that their tanning light was now ruined. Typhlosion hissed as well—his attacks were weakened significantly.

"Torterra! Quick Attack!" Reiji burst into a fit of quiet giggles. That enormous turtle, composed mostly of rock, was going to be fast enough to use Quick Attack effectively? There was no way. To everyone's obvious surprise, Torterra shook the branches on his tree and burst from where he stood, blurring into a green streak of movement. Riolu crouched low, lowering her center of gravity and bracing for the invisible assailant.

"Strike the blur with force palm!" Reiji commanded. Riolu's charged attack barely phased the giant beast when he hit. The blow crushed Riolu's body into the wooden deck, rendering her unconscious from the sheer weight and force of Torterra's stone-like body. Umbreon quickly countered with a hyperbeam, unprompted, that pierced the soft under shell of the monstrous pokemon. Torterra flipped onto his back, struggling to turn topside. The slicked deck of the ferry was slippery, the rain making its surface faulty and unstable. The showers grew more relentless as Umbreon's fury increased.

"Strike again when you're ready, Umbreon! Iron Tail!" Nick roared. His command was barely audible over the swell of the storm.

"Typhlosion! Use bite!" With Riolu deemed unable to battle, Typhlosion's target was easily spotted. The beast, slowed by the rain, struck a moment too late. Torterra was vanquished by the iron tail.

The shining light from Umbreon's tail dimmed as Typhlosion's jaws clamped on Umbreon's flank. The volcano pokemon shook the Umbreon forcefully and he fell limp in his fangs. Riley's pokemon unlocked his jaws then, and Nick's companion fell to the floor with a sickening thud.

"Nick and Reiji are unable to battle! Taminama and Hansen win!"

The boys exchanged a chest bump and high-fives, and shook the hands of their opponents respectfully. Their discussion on the battle was interrupted by a scratchy static noise.

"_Attention C.C. Campers! The ferry will be arriving in half an hour! Collect your things and move to the lower tier_!" Shane's voice buzzed over the PA system.

The campers dispersed to gather their belongings.

XXX

"Welcome, Magden Errow. And welcome to you too, Anthony Carter." The monk smiled warmly at the two trainers. Inside the aura of their pokemons' respective shrines, their nausea stemmed and the vomiting stopped. Magden's skin glowed healthily, and the muscles in AC's arms looked as defined as ever.

"Thank you for bringing us here." Magden replied. She was seated cross legged on a maroon silk pillow, cradling a small cup of tea in her left hand. AC was sprawled on a pile of blue silk pillows next to her, picking at the fraying gold thread with his fingers.

"It is of no problem. Tomorrow at dawn is when your training begins."

"What are we going to learn?" AC asked.

"You're going to need to learn how to control the power of your marks. I have contained mine to a small mark on my wrist. Yours, however, have spread more than I have ever seen. It will take meditation and concentration to keep the connection strong, yet keep the visions and nausea tolerable."

"And if we learn to suppress our marks?"

"You'll learn to control your entire life."

XXX

The C.C. campers loaded into the black bus and drove off of the ferry, taking the left path toward Littleroot. Tarkov was behind the wheel now, not hesitating to "put the pedal to the metal." They arrived in a matter of minutes. The girls, irritated that the wind ruffled their hair, and the guys, overjoyed that Tarkov had pushed the bus to eighty mph, were obviously opposite in opinion.

"Okay everyone! Our first night is going to be spent in the Petalburg Woods! Enjoy the fresh grasses and timeless trees, as this region is best known for its foliage!" Cameron and Yanmega stuck their heads out of the window and inhaled deeply, almost to the point of hyperventilation.

"Are they always like this?" Itachi whispered to Hunter. She ignored him and turned up the volume on her ipod. In the back of the bus, someone had started a game of "Never did I ever."

"How do you play?" Talia asked. Berane fanned his gloved fingers wide and held them up.

"You have to go around the circle and say things you've never done. If you _have_ done it, you put a finger down. If you run out of fingers, you lose!" Berane explained. His white hair was tousled by the slight breeze and his multi-colored eyes glittered with a mischievous gleam.

"Venice, you go first!"

"Hmm, okay. I've never ever owned a flannel shirt!" Riley growled in anger and stuck his thumb down. Almost all the guys reluctantly folded a finger, Hiro, James, Reiji, Sid, Skyler…the list went on.

"Fine Venice. I've never had curly hair."

"Hey!" Kame and Talia shouted simultaneously. Riley laughed loudly and looked to Hiro.

"I've never driven a car." A few of the campers who were old enough lowered a finger.

"You've never driven a car? You're seventeen!" Kaiya said incredulously.

"Never wanted to drive a car after that accident." He closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head. Jolteon licked his face, shocking him slightly, and the usual white smile returned.

"Okay. I've never gotten busy in a tree."

"What? That's random! Who would ever hook up with someone in a tree?" With a furious blush, Kai dropped a finger.

"WOAH! Story time, _now."_ Reina gasped. Kai smiled slyly and shook her head.

"Was it wit Riles?" Sid asked. Kai blushed harder and shook her head. Everyone turned to look at Riley, whose mouth was agape and eyes wide.

"Then who was it?"

"This guy from my high school. PDA wasn't allowed, so we'd go into the huge eucalyptus tree during lunch…" She shifted uncomfortably in her brown leather seat.

"Okay! Enough about Miss Kaiya's love life! We're here!" Vick laughed.

XXX

The camp was set in Petalburg's shady canopy, and the lack of bright light reminded the campers of their time in Ilex forest. This time, the camp settled in a small entanglement of pre-built tree houses, whose cabins were connected by rope sky bridges.

"This place is amazing!" Adrianne marveled. Her ribbons bounced crazily as she and her Frosslass ran off to explore. Skyler, not wanting to be left alone with the still-new-to-him campers, ran after her. Alex and Mark took a stroll into the underbrush, clasping hands and talking in low voices.

"Are you excited?" Mark asked her. Alex, freeing the hem of her blue skirt from a bramble bush with a sharp tug, looked up in confusion.

"For the Hoenn region?"

"For the Ranger Academy! It'll be you and me back in Sinnoh. And then we'll graduate and then we'll be partners in the field and then maybe…" He broke off. Alex smiled at his pink cheeks.

"You know, I've always imagined that some day we would—" Her words were cut off by a roar. Following the blur that cut through the brush was a Pokemon ranger.

The red-haired man was tall, with bright green eyes. He took his lasso and roped the giant beast, circling its furry body a number of times before it finally calmed down.

"Hey! The name's Axel, got it memorized? I'm the top Pokemon Ranger this region's got to offer. How're you two?" Alex, freaking out from a recent Slaking near-trampling, could only shake his hand lamely. Mark smiled widely.

"Come back to camp with us! We need to thank you for saving our life!"

The man named Axel chuckled and followed the young couple.

XXX

**This sucks, sorry. Senior year is terribly busy and I'm trying to update as quick as I can. Sorry for the shortness as well. Don't stop reading, and please review.**

**Much much much love.**


	28. Temptresses, Goodbyes, and Fresh Trails

**Wow, it's been awhile.**

**Well, here's the next installment of C.C. **

**Expect like weekly updates when January rolls around. Until then, I'm sorry to deprive you.**

**Enjoy!**

**-KATIE**

**XXX**

The sky turned a light ash color as Magden and AC followed the monk into the training grounds. Their marks shone brightly, revitalized by the aura in the temple. The monk, who had later introduced himself as Giatzo, shuffled before them. The trio tiptoed quietly through a small zen garden. A traditional red drum bridge stretched over the brook below, and multicolored goldeen swam in the stream's waters.

"The first step to controlling your marks is meditation. But one must meditate when the sun is strongest, during dawn and during dusk." Monk Giatzo explained. He crossed his thin legs and aligned his spine into a straight line. Magden shrugged at AC and followed suit.

"Activate your marks when the sun hits them directly. Grasp hands when you feel the vibrations." Giatzo commanded. The old monk pulled back his sleeve and uncovered his mark to the sun. With a sudden breath, Monk Giatzo uttered a strange incantation, releasing the seal on his restrained marks. The tattoo-like marks burst from their original point to flow across the monk's wrinkled skin. They pulsated and the ground shook around them. The flash was so brilliant the two trainers had to shield their eyes. When Monk Giatzo opened his eyes, they seemed limitless and deep. Magden tentatively peeked into his gaze and saw the universe, she saw the world, she saw clarity and understanding. It was a sight that brought her to tears. She was overcome with a strong desire to achieve such power, and tried to replicate it promptly. She dove into the sunlight, marks alight, and felt a vibration that started in her heart and resonated throughout every synapse of her being. She grabbed for AC's hand and did not relax until his warm touch enveloped her. Magden inhaled again and opened her eyes, extremely surprised to be meditating in the spirit world.

XXX

Hunter wasn't the only female captivated by Axel's presence. The green-haired counselor was joined by the flirtatious Venice, Reina's doe-eyed expression, and (shockingly) Melody's shallow breathing. Axel flashed a brilliant smile to the encampment and extended a long-fingered hand to Tarkov. With a narrowed eye and a grisly glare, the general practically crushed the ranger's hand in his iron grip.

"How long have you all been camping here?" Axel asked. At his side trotted a Ninetales, who had sprung from his hip holster to see what the commotion was. Shane, Itachi, and Vick were on the outskirts of the duo, all equally offended at the ranger's surprise visit.

"Look at your woman, Itachi." Shane sneered. Hunter had followed Axel and Tarkov into the counselor's tree house, eyes glazed and mouth agape.

"Christ, togetha their hair'd make Christmas look tacky…" Johnny jeered. Sid joined in with a couple of ginger jokes, poking at Johnny's orange hair.

"Don't point ye stubby fingers at me, you wanker." A few more jabs and the two Brits were fighting again. Sid leapt for Johnny's legs and they both rolled into a pretzel-like shape. Arms and legs were indistinguishable, the only defining features of the two boys were their hair colors. Vick sighed, released Grant the Salamence, and a quick hyperbeam silenced them both.

"You better stop it right now." Vick warned. The two British boys scowled at him and stalked away.

XXX

"General Tarkov, I'm honored to be in your presence. I've heard stories about you from my father since I was born." Axel admitted, a little star-struck by being in the same room as his childhood hero.

"Your father? What's your last name, Ranger?" Tarkov asked. Hunter was following them quietly, trying to concentrate less on how _damn amazing_ Axel smelled and more on his words.

"Axel Ramirez. My father was Toran Ramirez."

"TORAN! HOW IS THE OLD MAN!" Tarkov laughed a deep, booming chortle that shook his strong ribcage. Axel assured him his father was fine, although now confined to a wheelchair.

"Your father was my best friend back in the war. General Tarkov and Major Toran. Tarkov and Toran. It was great. While we clawed our way up in ranks we always were getting into trouble." he reminisced, smiling at some distant memory. The glaring and growling was all but gone after a few words about Toran Ramirez.

"So, a pokemon ranger, eh? How's that treating you?" the General inquired.

"It's pretty rewarding, to be honest. Of course I've got Nine as my own, but if you think about it, technically I've 'owned' countless pokemon. I answer to the Hoenn Ranger Academy. I'm a student teacher, and we're always looking for recruits." the Ninetails at his side, now known as Nine, licked her master's hand absently.

"Recruits you say?" Tarkov scratched his stubbly chin pensively. "I think I can help you out with that one."

XXX

Cameron and Yanmega, accompanied by Mamoswine, ventured to a small stream not far from camp. Trainer and Dragonfly were perched on the back of the wooly beast, fingers and feelers wrapped in coarse brown hair.

-"We should take some samples of the algae here! I heard it's perfect breeding conditions for Luvdisc eggs…quite perfect.." he mumbled to himself. He broke conversation for a moment and surveyed the Petalburg woods. A dense canopy, lots of flowery brush, and a complete lack of sound. The quietness disturbed the experienced counselor. His human presence shouldn't interrupt the pace of the forest _this much. _

"Yan, what do you see?" he whispered. Yanmega flit off the back of the Mamoswine and used his 360 degree vision to survey… nothing. The Dragonfly hovered back and shrugged his six shoulders, as if to say, "I don't notice anything unusual." Cameron kept his eyes peeled and ignored the silence. He jumped off the back of Mamoswine and crouched by the creek and extracted algae with a pair of tweezers and cotton swabs. A few moments later his phone buzzed in his pocket. He didn't bother to check the ID and answered.

"Cameron Torvenal, how may I help you?"

"Cameron, it's urgent. You're needed back at home." a stern voice urged. The voice belonged to his younger sister Komori.

"What's wrong now, Komo?" he asked, placing the samples in a water-tight container.

"It's Dad. He…he…." strangled sobs were barely audible in the receiver.

"What, Komori? What happened?" his demands were urgent.

"He's sick, just come home!" she growled. Cameron agreed hastily and snapped the phone shut. Yanmega buzzed about him in a quizzical manner.

"We're heading home, Yan. Let's go break the news."

XXX

Cameron came back to camp to find that two of his eldest campers were packed and standing near the red-headed ranger. He shot a quizzical look at Hunter, but the discreet expression was completely ignored. She was too busy staring into his jade green eyes.

"Ah, Torvenal, you're back! As you can see, Ms. Cesarini and Mr. Pearl are leaving as apprentices!" the looks on the young trainers' faces were excited.

"Yes, I've got all of their transfer forms and paperwork. They're going to come study at the Hoenn Ranger Academy. They're both eighteen already, so they're of age to enroll." Mark gently clasped Alex's hand in his.

"This is…unexpected. Well, I also must leave. I have trouble back at home. Can you guys manage without me?" when Cameron announced his departure Hunter was snapped out of her trance.

_"Why does Cameron need to leave? He's the only counselor who doesn't hit on me! Why?" _her mind screamed. Cameron walked past her and up into the counselor's tree house to collect his things.

"Well, we should get moving. Wouldn't want to deprive these children of their education any longer!" Axel cried. Nine barked her agreement and turned toward the forest.

"Goodbye, Alex!" Kame shouted. She hugged her fellow camper, who had eventually been like an older sister to her. The tall, brunette trainer hugged the tawny-haired girl back and finished her goodbyes.

Mark walked up to Hiro and handed him a small slip of paper, passed discreetly in what looked like a handshake.

"Don't open this until Alex and I leave. This came to me in a dream last night." he hissed. Hiro nodded hard and watched Alex and Mark walk up to Nine. Axel turned toward Hunter and winked a green eye.

"Meeting you has been a pleasure." he said suavely. He raised her manicured hand to his lips and kissed it softly. Hunter looked as if her heart skipped into her mouth.

"Goodbye, everyone! Maybe our paths will cross once more!" Axel chuckled to himself and led his new students into the forest.

XXX

"Do you need to take a flying type?" Tarkov asked. Cameron nodded once and clipped his backpack across his chest. Hunter offered her co-worker Tropius' pokeball. The leafy quadruped licked her master's face before taking flight into the midday sun, with Cameron and Yanmega on her back.

"Hunter…are you crying?" Vick asked, seeing an opportunity to console (and possibly touch) the emotional woman at his side. Instead of hitting him, instead of insulting him, she merely looked up into his teal eyes. Her own emerald orbs were large and glistening, and she leaned into the sleeve of Vick's tuxedo, wiping her tears away. The exchange was quiet and unnoticed, thanks to the distraction provided by Nick and Reina. The gust of wind from Tropius' wings had blown Reina's white skirt up and hooked the hem onto Nick's studded belt. Hiro and Riley, witnessing the peep show, was sure to make a huge stink about Reina's pink Flaaffy underwear. With a furious blush and a growl that grated the air, she tugged her skirt away from the metal stud. Unfortunately for Reina (and fortunately, in the boys' case) her white skirt tore all the way up the hem.

Nova, her loyal Togekiss, decided this was the best time to sweep her master away, and did so promptly.

XXX

"_Meissa!_ If you touch my leg again I will be forced to have it horribly removed!" Betelgeuse hissed. Sari bit back a laugh when she stared into the molten gold glare of her master.

"It was an accident, sir. If Aaron didn't have such wide hips, we'd all fit in this tunnel." she was thankful for the low light of the rocky cave, because she could not help the smirk that crept across her full lips. A deep growl resounded beside her, and she knew she had struck a nerve. The tawny yellow eyes of her companion burned within her own red gaze, and Sari avoided further comment. The walk down from the jet into the Cave of Origin was long and winding, and the only noise echoing now was the footfalls of Team Orion. Leading the pack were Betelgeuse, Sari, and Aaron, closely followed by Grim and Zara. Behind them were Mintaka and Rigel, and a few yards back were Alnilam, Alnitak, and Saiph.

"This cavern has been a source of magical power for centuries. Some debate on whether the great beast Rayquasa resides here, yet this is not what the prophecy says. Our green serpent dwells at the top of the Sky Tower. We have chosen the cave of Origin as our hideout because it is said that this is where all life begins…" Betelgeuse explained. Zara skipped ahead of the group and down onto the first level.

"It's time to make some adjustments," he ordered. "Alnilam, Alnitak, you're on electricity. This needs to be better than our previous headquarters. Meissa, Aaron, begin bringing the boxes down. Mintaka, Rigel, come with me." Betelgeuse and Zara began to light torches to shed some light into the darkened cavern. Mintaka's enormous Metagross was set to work as well, putting its psychic abilities to good use. It moved enormous boulders, flattened the floor, and created networks of smaller tunnels. It also was careful to seal any pathways that would lead into the newly formed lair.

"Meissa! Call out your Sceptile. We need him to use flash in this tunnel!" Betelgeuse called. Meissa rushed down the steps, almost dropping the load of boxes she was carrying, and fumbled for the green pokeball on the belt of her low-rise red pants. The serpent-like pokemon emerged, gathering energy to explode in a flash of brilliance. Soon the room was as bright as the mid-afternoon sun above.

"Thank you. Resume." Sari rolled her eyes and walked back up the recently carved stone steps.

"Take a look, Mintaka. Rigel. You two aren't my second and third simply because I felt like it. The two of you are smart enough, _mature enough_," he paused, casting a disdained glance toward the youngest Orion members, who were arguing over something frivolous. "to comprehend this plan. We begin here, gathering power to give life to Orion's beast." Betelgeuse pulled from his pocket a small metal cube. He tapped the cube's surface and a large holographic screen appeared before them.

"It's a map of Hoenn!" Rigel cried. Betelgeuse nodded and touched the region labeled 'Sky Tower'. It zoomed in on the ancient structure, revealing a satellite image of the brickwork, carvings, and the top of the tower.

"There's nothing there, milord." Mintaka said. Betelgeuse held up one finger, silently asking her to be patient, and clicked the tower again. A large red 'X' crossed the tower.

"Our last target. The first two will be the legendary lands where Kyogre and Groudon live. It is rumored that if both are summoned, they will resume the fight that will fuel their eternal rivalry. The stories dictate that only Rayquasa, entity of the sky, could bring this struggle between land and sea to an end." Betelgeuse slashed more X's through the Seafloor Cavern and Mt. Chimney.

"Okay, so we're infiltrating this cave, and three other locations?" Rigel asked. Betelgeuse shook his head.

"We've got one more place…" He marked the final 'X' over Mt. Pyre.

XXX

"Reina. Come down from there." Nick growled. Reina, startled at Nick Spectra's gruff voice, wiped her lidded eyes. The black mascara ran down her freckled cheeks in dark waves.

"I don't wanna." she winced at the sound of her feeble voice. This wasn't the Reina Yuki who was flirtatious and confident. This Reina Yuki was humiliated, and sitting in nothing but her Flaafy underwear and her black sleeveless turtleneck. Her stomach dropped into her ankles when she heard him climbing the tree she had lodged herself in. As he grabbed each branch, her Togekiss became increasingly territorial.

"Return!" the pokemon unwillingly retreated into her pokeball. After a few moments, her reddish brown eyes met the icy gaze of Nick Spectra.

Her swollen eyes ran over his brown hair, noted the way it spiked over his right eye. They also raked over his angular features, and were drawn to the thick scar on his neck. It disappeared into his black Ultra ball hoodie.

"I'm tired of waiting, woman. Now get down and dry up or I'll pull you down." he barked. Reina's earlier feelings of sadness were quickly replaced with annoyance—how dare he order her around that way!

"No. I'm not wearing pants and you're being mean." her thin brows furrowed and she stuck out her tongue.

"Fine. If that's the way you want it." he cocked an eyebrow and undid his studded belt, ripping it from the loops in one fluid motion. Reina was struck speechless. This boy was _stripping right in front of her. _Her surprise must have been evident—for a small but wicked grin crept over the thin mouth of the older boy.

"W-wh-at are you-u d-d-doing?" she managed to gasp. Nick unbuttoned the fly on his Levi's and dropped them to the floor. Beneath the denim was a pair of Dialga boxer-briefs.

"Are you happy now? Now you're not the only one without pants. Now get up." he fished his pokeballs and his wallet from his jeans and called out his Quilava. The plucky fire type balanced on a slim elk branch, ready for orders.

"Burn up my jeans, Quil." Quilava cheered rather loudly and did as he was told, reducing the denim to ashes.

"There. Can we go now?" He asked, extending a strong hand to her. Reina huffed and took the offer, despite her better judgment begging her not to.

XXX

Nightfall was soon upon the Petalburg tree houses, shrouding what little light the forest held in complete darkness. Hiro had escaped the campfire for a few moments to read the note that Mark had given him. Jolteon curled up to his side on their shared bunk, and Hiro doused all light except for the reading lamp above his head.

"Look, Jolt. It's a map!" he was trying to make out Mark's slanted script, but the lines were too small and too smudged.

"I think it's of Hoenn…" he wondered aloud. On the tiny square of paper were four locations. A large, pagoda-like tower that kissed the clouds, an undersea cavern, and a sooty volcano. The fourth place was a small mountain. He turned over the miniature map in his hand and saw that Mark had left him a note on the back. His handwriting had seemed to improve, probably to make sure Hiro got the message.

It read,

_"Hiro, I knew you had to see this before Alex and I left. Last night, I had a dream that three shadowed pokemon were being captured at these four places. You can't let Orion get there! I think the places are the Sky Tower, Mt. Chimney, the Seafloor Cavern, and Mt. Pyre. Don't forget us!"_

_-Markus Pearl_

"Do you realize what this means?" Hiro whispered to his friend. The Lightning pokemon shook his bristled head.

"We've got some assholes to plug." Jolteon's black eyes widened at the odd phrase of his master, but the meaning was conveyed quite the same. Hiro and Jolteon leapt from their bunk and out of the tree house, down to the roaring flames of the campfire below.

"We've gotta move! I know where Orion is going!" Hiro shouted. He waved the paper in Tarkov's face until the general snatched it from him.

"Where did you get that?" Setsuna asked. She was typing away at her laptop furiously, but the new news of Orion's whereabouts actually got the techy trainer to stop. The silence that followed Setsuna's inquiry was broken by a wet, hacking cough from Reiji.

"Mark gave it to me. Read the note on the back." he told Tarkov. His faded blue eyes scanned the lines quickly and passed the note onto the other counselors.

"We break camp at dawn. Our first stop, Mt. Chimney. Everyone get to bed." Vick ordered. He folded the note and stuffed it in the pocket of his tuxedo.

XXX

The C.C. bus ambled through the dense Petalburg woods, only stopping once when Venice insisted she had to "pee like a Ponyta." Hunter sat somberly in the front, not even reacting at Vick's numerous attempts. The ride only took a couple of hours, and soon the wrought iron gates of Rustboro City were visible.

"We're going to stop at the pokemon center for a quick lunch and a refresher. You all will have one hour to explore the city. _One hour. _How many hours is that, Sid?" Itachi growled. Sid snapped out of his trance and fumbled for an answer.

"Exactly my thoughts. Maybe next time we won't stare at Emily Johnson." with smug blue eyes the counselor sat back in his seat. The pokemon center was small, and had a rust-colored roof that slanted at a sharp angle. The Nurse Joy inside was helped with only Blisseys, and the cross on her cap was a bright orange.

"The café is just downstairs! The lobby is too big for an entire cafeteria, so we put our dining hall in the basement!" She beamed at the young campers.

Hiro and Riley practically fought each other on their way down to the food court, and their muscular bodies (albeit skinny) were wedged in the tiny stairwell.

"I guess nothing can get in the way of a fatty and his food." A smooth, feminine voice called. She was seated at a low table next to a younger boy. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Her dark brown hair cascaded down her back in wild waves, and a slender brow was raised over slate blue eyes. The girl wore tight denim shorts that revealed a lot of olive skin, and a blue halter top that matched her eyes. In her ears were three diamond earrings each, and around her neck a small lightning bolt pendant. Her small feet were slipped into a pair of brown gladiator sandals that wove their way up her toned calves. Her left hand was poised on the head of a Vaporeon, and the other was folded under her chin in a mocking look.

"Fortuna? Fortuna Athena Nocturne?" Hiro asked incredulously. The girl broke out in a grin and stood to hug her long-lost friend. Kame squirmed uncomfortably. This was Reina all over again.

"What have you been up to?" Hiro was all smiles, and it seemed as if his white teeth mirrored her flawless grin. From Kame's perspective, they could've been carved as the image of angels.

"Nothing extraordinary. Ever since you left Celadon things haven't been the same. So I decided to come to Rustboro to live with my cousins." Hiro nodded.

"Who is this, Taminama?" Itachi asked. He saw the devastation on his little sister's face and decided to intervene.

"This is my best friend! We grew up together in Celadon. We went through all of the leagues together." Kame's blue eyes twitched in discontent. Setsuna turned on her webcam and decided to shoot the scene, catching the looks of the Takeshi girl and the banter between the two Celadon natives on her camera.

"What are you doing?" Reiji hissed into her silver hair. Setsuna remained stoic and inhaled slowly.

"Hiro will want to see how his flirtatiousness hurts Kame. And besides, this is just more data. Think of it as a documentary, of sorts. I've got film on everyone." the couple sat themselves away from the conversation, and Reiji left Setsuna to her 'documentary' to grab them both some food.

The rest of the camp, growing bored of watching the reunion of Hiro and Fortuna, dispersed to help themselves to steak and potatoes. The girls all sat away from Fortuna, threatened by her presence. The guys, however, joined Fortuna at her table and were engrossed in her. It was noted that Fortuna had a slight Italian accent that came forward when she talked rapidly. The little boy at her side came to be known as her cousin, Joe Odinson. He was fourteen to her seventeen, and had a messy mop of black hair. Unlike Fortuna, his skin was pale, and his eyes were a burnt orange, not unlike Talia's irises.

In his mouth were braces, and his 'style' consisted of an old pair of converse, some loose black jeans, and an oversize orange t-shirt. He was happy and energetic, and full of jokes (although not always appropriate).

"Wow, so you're from Camp Catchem'all! Fera, don't you know I'm sposed to join them in a few weeks in Lilycove!" he explained excitedly. Fortuna, or "Fera," as she was called by Joe, "hmmph'ed" in acknowledgment.

"Joe Odinson, is that right?" Shane asked. He pushed James aside with a swing of his bony hip and wriggled into nonexistent space on the bench. The younger boy nodded vigorously.

"You could join us now, if you wish. We're leaving in an hour." he offered. Joe looked to Fortuna for approval and she winked a blue eye. He dashed from the pokemon center, knocking James' orange soda all over his leather Johto Air Force jacket. He grit his teeth and exhaled slowly, rising from the bench and growling the entire way to the restroom. Venice noticed James' exit and decided not to press him at the moment, instead she went to sit in James' vacant seat.

"Hey, Ven." Shane said between mouthfuls.

"Will he ever change?" she whispered. Shane lowered his voice to continue the conversation.

"You have no idea how much he's changed already, Venice. It used to be whenever he saw someone with green eyes he _refused_ to even look at the person, let alone talk to them. You've cracked his shell, as difficult as it is to believe." he assured her.

"See? Look at how happy you make him!" James stalked from the bathroom with a dark scowl.

"Well, not now, but you do, I promise!" Shane rubbed his brown hair sheepishly and resumed his meal.

XXX

With an hour left before departure, the campers ventured out into the brisk air of Rustboro. The younger trainers, and those who had not yet made their way through the Hoenn league, went to challenge Roxanne, the gym leader. This included Talia and Berane, Sid and Johnny, Emily, and Riley. The remainder went out to the battle ground of the pokemon center to watch Fortuna and Hiro "have a friendly re-match". Apparently their records were tied, and this battle might settle the "rivalry" between them. Fortuna winked at Hiro as she called out her first pokemon.

"Fera! I choose you!" she cried. Her midnight blue pokeball erupted in a flash of light, and from it sprung a Feraligatr. The beast was large and ferocious, roaring in pleasure at the sight of a familiar opponent.

"Let's rumble, Torterra!" the leafy tortoise roared right back.

"Hydro cannon, now!" Fera charged a blast of frigid water in her jaws and jumped high into the sun, out of sight.

"Razor leaf, Torterra!" Hiro's companion was too slow. The Hydro cannon forced its way into the eyes of Torterra, knocking the beast onto its back. Rolling helplessly on his shell, Torterra began gathering energy for a solar beam, unprompted by Hiro.

"Ready to give up, Taminama? Tor's already done for! Metal claw!" the talons of the alligator-esque pokemon began to glow, and with a quick slash of her hands the vulnerable underbelly was spliced straight open, and blood flowed freely from his wounds.

"Damnit! Torterra, return!" Hiro recalled his friend and handed the pokeball to Joe, who offered to carry it to the pokemon center.

"This isn't a game anymore, Koko. It's time to see who is top dog!" Hiro narrowed his blind eye at his childhood sweetheart and growled at the use of his nickname, "Koko." It was a shortening of his detested middle name "Koketzu."

"No one knows that name here, Fei." he snapped. He snatched a pokeball from his belt and hurtled it at Fera the Feraligatr. Charizard curled his scaly lips in anticipation. Hiro snapped his fingers three times and Charizard rose into the sky, circled once, and shot down with miraculous speed. The lizard body-slammed the gator and clamped his jaws around the thick skin of his opponent.

"Fire fang." the boy ordered. "Make sure it burns." this side of Hiro was dark, competitive, and not as attractive as the rest of him. Something about Fortuna made him this way, and this part of Hiro had never been witnessed before.

"Why is he so competitive? He's almost salivating…in the bad way." Kai noticed. Riley wasn't listening to her, he was more occupied with the way the sun shone off of Kai's short black hair. Her purple eyes narrowed when she realized that Riley wasn't listening to her.

"Ry. You're a guy. You know Hiro better than I do. Why does he get like that?" she pressed. Riley looked to Hiro with blue eyes and analyzed his close friend for a few moments as the battle ensued. He vaguely saw Fortuna calling back Feraligatr and releasing a Starmie with a blue jewel.

"Hiro obviously is calm and collected normally, right? Well there's either bad blood between him and Fera, or he's in love with her." Kai hit him then, as Kame turned around with wide eyes.

"Ignore him." she said. Kame turned to her Vulpix and began petting him rather forcefully.

"Damnit, Ry! Can you keep the volume down?"

"Well, Miss Priss, you didn't let me finish. I'm just saying, Hiro might not be the fantastic, perfect, god-like boy we all think he is." he pointed toward Hiro as he growled orders to Charizard, who succeeded in smashing the jewel of her Starmie. With a disgruntled glare she called back Starmie and clapped her hands. Vaporeon trotted out from behind her. The water type batted her lashes at Jolteon, who also stepped out.

"Thunder!"

"Ice Beam!" the attacks were shouted simultaneously, and met in a clash of light and ice. Static electricity raised the hair of every contender, and the ice shot into the clouds. Snow fell soon after.

"Thunder Wave, Jolt!" Vaporeon was paralyzed but still moving. Jolteon attacked with a Volt Tackle, pinning Vaporeon to the floor with his clawed paws.

"Ice Beam!"

"Thunder!" at close range, the attacks combined and froze both pokemon in a sparkling block of ice.

"Both pokemon are unable to fight! Draw!" Tarkov boomed. A rare smile splayed across his thin lips, he knew this would infuriate the both of them.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS!" the couple screamed. Tarkov merely laughed and ordered the camp onto the bus.

XXX

"Are you sure you're going to be okay, Joe? Just call me if there are any problems." Fortuna hugged her little cousin and watched him climb onto the bus. She turned to Hiro with a hard look.

"Watch him, will you?" it was more of a statement than a question.

"That was a good battle, Fei. Hopefully the score can someday be settled." Fortuna smiled at this, and, forgiven, wrapped Hiro into a warm and fierce embrace.

"Someday."

XXX

**Sorry for the delay, beauties.**

**PLEASE REVIEW. I really need a boost right now *sadface* **

**-Katie**


	29. MicroChapter: A Peak into the Future

**Sorry about putting LOAS on hiatus, but I'm on a roll with my CC plot outline. So please REVIEW and recommend to any pokemon lover! I'm sorry if your OC is gone, I promised everyone a fair chance in the story and I haven't been keeping it… **

**Enjoy !**

**XXX**

"So Joe! Tell me more about your cousin…" Riley sidled up to the fourteen year old as the camp was filing into C.C.'s blackened bus. Joe looked up from his iPod with a cocked brow.

_Typical. I can't go out in public with Fortuna for five minutes without being bombarded by guys asking about her. Am I going to be this idiotic when I'm seventeen?_ Joe's inner voice was just as annoyed as his real one was.

"What do you wanna know? She's not that special." Why couldn't anyone notice him for _him,_ and not for how freakishly pretty and perfect his cousin was? Riley was taken aback. The inquisitive, orange-eyed youth was jovial just a few minutes ago. The older boy shrugged off Joe's snap and sat down beside Kai with a sigh. They hadn't been kissing much, or talking much for that matter. Things were different between them. They simply existed. The thought worried Riley, despite his recent attraction in Joe Odinson's cousin. She was distant. Colder. The fire in her violet eyes had been quelled. He wondered idly if her feelings had simply died for him. As he watched the gates of Rustboro close behind the bus, he combed over the events of the last two days. Kai had rarely spoken to him, let alone talked to him. It was unsettling for Riley, who was accustomed to girls becoming extremely attached to him.

Kai had stopped wearing her favorite basketball shorts altogether. She now was wearing a pair of _light blue jeans. _

_Jeans? _ His mind screamed. Instead of the comfortable crew-neck she normally wore, she now was sporting a fitted red v-neck. Very un-Kai.

"Kai…are you okay?" her violet eyes burned fierce when she caught his gaze. She didn't reply and turned her stare toward the window. Talia peeked over the seat in disdain, her orange irises sad. She plopped down next to Berane and leaned her white-blond head on his shoulder.

"I'm worried about Kai. Have you noticed that she is dressing differently today? And for what? A stifling bus ride?" her glossed lips brushed together quietly in Berane's ear. He blinked his multi-colored eyes in thought and scratched the scar on his neck.

"We need to find out what's up. I say we ask Hiro. Can't he 'read' people or whatever kind of bullshit he was talking about?" Talia shoved him lightly.

"That's no way to talk about Hiro! He's a good boy!" she retorted.

"You treat him like an Eevee, gimme a break." Berane groaned. Talia rolled her eyes and stole a glance over the seat once more. Kai had positioned herself as far away from Riley as possible. With a tiny sigh she met Berane's gaze.

"We need to find out. Soon."

XXX

August was the most scorching of all the months, in Tarkov's opinion. He was accustomed to the frigid winters of his motherland, and this heat made the olive-green tee stick to his muscled back. His mind raked over the plan the counselors had formed. They were the only people in the world with the knowledge on Orion. And if the prophecies painted in blood were true—they would have to be the ones to fulfill it. With the knowledge to defeat the mythical pokemon, the counselors felt united, together, part of something. This was no longer a war for territory, for glory or freedom. It was a fight for life.

Tarkov's blue eyes wandered to the last row of bus seats. Seated there was Taminama, who was absently petting his Jolteon. Beside him, her head barely visible, was Kame Takeshi. Her curly blonde hair was upright and frizzy in the sticky air, and the adhesive on her eye patch was so drenched with sweat it began to peel off.

_Such innocence,_ Tarkov thought. _Why does Fate choose two ordinary children? A boy with a ridiculous haircut, and a girl with nothing more than a backpack and a Swablu to her name? _

As if hearing his mental rant, Hiro's eyes snapped to Tarkov's. The general looked away quickly so as to not draw attention. After a short while, a slight tug was administered to the leg of his camouflage pants. He glanced down to meet Teddiursa, trying to get the saltine crackers out of his cargo pocket. With a disgruntled noise he tossed the crackers to the small bear, who devoured them ravenously.

"Hunter, keep an eye on your damned stuffed animal, would you?" Tarkov's accent was thicker when he was angry, and the sharp tones of his words drowned out the quiet sobbing of Hunter. Only her Teddiursa went to comfort her.

XXX

Kame fidgeted with the golden Vulpix charm that never left her pale neck. Hiro was next to her, smelling as amazing as ever, and she felt awkward in her seat. What does she say now, when Hiro probably was comparing her to Fortuna as she scrambled for the words? How could she compare to years of flirtation and perfection? It was maddening. She prayed that Setsuna would show Hiro that damned video. She needed it more than the half-blind boy would ever know.

Yet in this cloud of doubt and depression, and near tears, her eyes caught something. One simple detail that she failed to notice. On her right wrist was the leather cuff—the first leather cuff—that Hiro Taminama had ever owned. A quick look at his arms told her that bracelets were not cherished by the boy (as it seemed he had a new one by the day) but for some reason he entrusted her with _his first bracelet._ If that wasn't favor, Kame didn't know what was.

"Hiro?" she whispered. He raised an eyebrow and smirked before replying with a 'hmm?'

"What do you think's at Mt. Chimney?" her question meant nothing of course, she knew quite well that either Orion would be there, or another clue to their whereabouts. She really wanted to start a conversation.

"Well, whatever's there is gonna answer to us." Hiro grasped her small hand in his cool one gently. Kame flushed a deep red, in disbelief that this was happening.

"Are you embarrassed? Should I not touch you?" a ghost of a smile kissed his lips as his fingers slipped from hers.

"N-no! I'm n-not emb-ar-ras-ss-ed!" she mentally slapped herself for stuttering.

"Oh Tortoise…what am I to do with you?" she was frozen as his lips grazed the top of her hair.

XXX

The camp knew they were nearing their destination, due to the steady fall of soot from the sky.

"And if you look to your left, you'll enjoy the constant ash fall of Mt. Chimney!" Vick used the intercom with a lackadaisical voice. He would never make a good tour guide. Vick turned off the paved road and onto the dirt path which wound its way to the base of Mount Chimney. As the campers filed out of the bus, Melody turned to the ex-general.

"This is strange…" Hunter mused. "…look at how much soot is falling. This volcano is almost always dormant, save the summer solstice." Tarkov squinted at the top of the volcano.

"No matter. Let's split in groups and take the paths." Tarkov was to take his group (of the youngest and least strong) with Vick up the southern trail, where they would meet the least resistance. The braver would travel along the eastern road, accompanied by Shane and Itachi. And the die-hard would join Hunter and Melody in the air, skipping from ledge to ledge on the northern face.

"Do we really have to split up?" Emily groaned. She looked at Sid longingly. The dark-haired punker sighed and waved good-bye to his recent love. Johnny spat on Sid's boots, punched him in the shoulder, and another fight ensued. Their insatiable thirst for violence might be quenched with the path Itachi and Shane were taking. Most of the girls (save a few) travelled with Tarkov. Reina, Talia, Joe, Adrianne, and Skyler helped Tarkov stuff provisions into the packs Tarkov's pokemon would carry.

"The rendezvous point would ideally be at the intersection of Route 112 and the Jagged Pass." Setsuna quipped, holding out her hand for the camp's set of GPSs. She punched the coordinates into the tiny devices and passed them back out to the group leaders.

With Itachi and Shane were Sid and Johnny, given a pair of Rapidash to scale the mountain trails with. James and Venice stepped to the challenge as well, along with Berane. Melody and Hunter took with them Hiro, Kame, Reiji, Setsuna, Nick, Riley, and Kai.

"If we all hussle, we should reach the rendezvous point by sundown. The approximate time is 1:15 PM. Sunset is at 6:18PM." Setsuna computed.

The groups divided and began their separate treks up the red cracked earth of Mt. Chimney. Tarkov's group ambled up the light dirt path behind the volcano. The general's powerhouses each carried a pack of provisions, including water, food, bedding, and extra clothes. This journey was only supposed to last half a day. Talia and her Chingling made easy work of the path despite her thin frame. Reina and her Togekiss Nova hovered above the group, singing broken verses of a French song she once knew.

"_A__h! si tu savais? Ce que tes yeux me disent… si tu savais_!" her voice, which was usually reminiscent of a scyther's blades on a chalkboard, was actually pleasing.

"Maybe if she only spoke in French, she'd actually sound like a likeable human." Skyler said cynically. Adrienne retied the purple ribbons in her green hair and rolled her eyes. _At least he isn't flirting with her._ Adrienne thought gratefully.

Up the southern path they met few obstacles, the most trying being a few stray Rattata. Joe, inspired by the familiar pokemon, dove into the fantastic tales that wove his career as a trainer.

"Wow, the first day I ever became a trainer! It was a Monday, and I was SO glad not to be going to school! My mom made pancakes, and I was wearing my favorite Kingler shirt. It was blue, by the way, and then I went down to the beach to watch the sunrise. Y'know, for the symbolic 'sun rising on a new age' metaphor and all that crap." his eyes shifted sideways to the girls, to see if they were listening or not. Talia raised a manicured brow and giggled at him. Joe saw this as adequate praise and continued.

"And I noticed this terrible oil spill! Oil was _everywhere_, like seriously, up in everyone's grills and stuff. But there was this Krabby! And he was super sad and completely black…so I took him to the lab in my town and the Professor helped me clean him up. It felt so good that I completely forgot about my starter! But not to worry, everything went in a good way, promise." Joe rambled on nonstop, covering the adventures between him and his best friend Krabby, who became his starter. The girls entertained him for awhile, until his persistent storytelling finally stopped.

"—And that's how I solved the case of the Night Terror, which ended up being my future Gastly." he slapped his fist over his chest in pride. Reina, who had stopped her French muttering to listen to the story, burst into fits of laughter.

"I _love_ this kid! Good find, Tarkov!" the general rolled his eyes at the young camper and growled under his breath. The high-pitched voice of this almost pre-pubescent boy was beginning to get on his nerves. But it was most likely the heat. The disgusting heat. Tarkov looked at his ancient watch and tapped the temperature dial—85 degrees.

"Drink lots of water, everyone! Don't want dehydration patients. It's not a fun condition." the general snapped his fingers and Nidoqueen passed out bottles of fresh water.

"What's our favorite color today?" Tarkov asked.

"CLEAR!" the group resounded. Joe, confused by the reference, asked Skyler for the meaning.

"Well, when you drink lots of water, what color is your piss, kid?" Joe blushed a hot scarlet, embarrassed for being so myopic. Of _course_ his urine would be clear! He grumbled to himself as he gulped the clear water.

XXX

**The airborne group had a little less fun with their trek. Hot ash and soot barraged the small group of trainers, clouding their vision and their lungs. The pairings were odd on the flying types as well—only adding to the dysfunction and confusion in the group's chemistry. Kai gave Kame a desperate look when Riley summoned his shiny Charizard—so Kame took the dive and rode with Riles. Hiro knew **_**exactly**_ what ailed the violet-eyed whirlwind, he could sense it, but didn't dare to press the issue. He helped her onto his Charizard's back without one word.

Setsuna and Reiji were seated on the back of Grant, Vick's Salamence. Setsuna had stowed her laptop away in its indestructible case (which was of course secured to her back). Reiji decided to call out Zubat to flit near him, in case he needed the keen radar of his companion. He already felt faint from merely breathing the ash. He didn't expect to last without constant hydration. His Zubat, although terribly near-sighted, sensed his master's discomfort. The creature feared his master was nearing stage two of his illness. He feared that his master was making the slow ascent, not unlike the one they currently were making, to his doom.

"Swablu, whirlwind!" Kame shouted. Her voice was barely discernible through the thick smoke. A tiny blue bird was visible for only a moment—until the whirlwind from his wings cleared the path before them. This work was slow, dangerous, and methodical. If they took it too fast, they would face sure death below.

Beneath the party was a number of things: wild pokemon, sharp, jagged rocks (who would have no qualms about crushing anything that falls in their way) or crevices stuffed with freshly awakened magma. Every twenty minutes or so the group would stop on an outcropping, frozen with an Ice Beam from Setsuna's Totodile. The party took to the ice with obvious relief.

"Hydro Pump, Mudkip!" Hiro ordered. The small blue amphibian drenched everyone and filled their stomachs with cold water. Kai had to be forced to drink the smallest amount. She didn't even dismount from Charizard. She refused to touch the ice. Hiro's Mudkip kept everyone occupied while he slunk to her side.

"All right, Kai. The Emo thing is over. You're telling me what's wrong. And don't lie to me, either. It's written all over your face." Kai was surprised at Hiro's accusations. His usually playful (and sometimes suggestive) tone was completely absent. His voice was hard and grating.

"Something's wrong with me…" she whispered. "Look." Kai lifted the edge of her shirt to reveal the mark of her pokemon. Suicune's touch was tainted. The purple and blue spiral was now a giant, bulging bruise, and it twitched at Hiro's touch.

"It's so painful…something's wrong with me! It's making me depressed and I have no desire to eat, sleep, or drink. I don't even want to talk to Riley." she grimaced at a sharp shock of pain in her gut. She coughed a little and blood stained her white lips.

"Ahh, damn." Hiro growled. The marks on her exposed belly pulsated and suddenly burst across her skin, cutting ribbons in the pale flesh of the small girl.

"Holy hell! Reiji! Come quick!" the other trainer responded to the panic in his friend's voice and ran as fast as he could over the ice. Kai had fallen off of the black Charizard's back and onto the ice, slipping precariously toward the edge as she writhed in agony.

"Kai, the edge!" Riley screamed. Kai could hear nothing over her incapacitating pain. She slipped over the lip of the outcropping and over into the clouds of soot. Riley wasted no time in mounting his Charizard and diving desperately after her.

"God damn young love." Melody sighed. Hunter bit her nails in a shaky manner—she could barely contain her sadness. Everyone was at a breaking point. The last thing she needed was another death…

XXX

**Okay, I know this is short but the chapters are going to be if I'm to update more frequently. Sorry about the wait. **

**Review! **

**-katie **


	30. Corazon Sin Cara

**I'm watching Jeopardy and writing this. Interesting. Well anyways, let's see what kinds of danger Kai and Riley have gotten themselves into. Thanks for the reviews, and if you have time check out Miss Kiko's stuff. It's fantastic. **

**Review and Recommend ! **

**Kisses, Kate**

**XXX**

Kai felt nothing. Nothing but the desensitizing pain that resonated within every cell of her body. Flames engulfed her, consumed her, became her. The agony was so blinding that Kai's vision was black. Her lungs filled with smoke and she vaguely realized she was falling. She would accept the fall gladly—death would stop this pain. A smile spread across her lips as she sensed the rocky plain reaching up to kill her. But the merciful blow never came. Instead she was snatched up by the meaty claws of a Dragonite. With a stroke of its giant wings, the smoke was cleared around them and Riley was visible. He tore down the mountainside, and came to a screeching stop at the sight of the immense beast.

"Kai! Don't move! Are you okay?" through her agony Kai gurgled a positive reply.

"Not to worry!" came a musical voice. "My Drake won't harm her!" Riley was startled at the sound of the voice, but ignored it and beckoned the trainer and pokemon back up to the iced-over outcropping. The Drake gently laid the Kai on the ice with his left paw. Reiji set work to her immediately, pulling a bottle of the mysterious red liquid from his pack. He tilted her lips up to meet the bottle and she hungrily drank the elixir down. Within minutes she was fast asleep. Reiji tore the sleeve from his white shirt and dipped it in the last of the red reserve, and went to dab Kai's zigzagging slashes. The girl on the back of the Dragonite slid off the beast's back and onto the ice. She was breathtaking, to say the least.

What made her striking was her unique appearance. Her hair, dark and purple and glittering, wound its way down her back in wild waves. One of her eyes were pink, while the other was lavender. She was short in stature, about 5'1, but what she lacked in height she made up for in curves.

"My name is Miracle Evangeline, and if I'm not mistaken, you all must be part of Camp Catchem'all, which I am destined to join in a month's time. I saw you all _Sinnoh Now!_ and decided to follow you to Mt. Chimney." she pulled registration papers out of her cleavage and handed them to Melody. The ex-lieutenant raised a incredulous brow—this girl couldn't just approach them normally?

"Well, I suppose everything's fine. And you saved Kai's life. Join the club!" Melody smiled genuinely and turned back toward the group. "Three more minutes before liftoff." she barked. Hunter nodded and walked over to Kai, gently peeling her shirt from her stomach, intent on examining the marks. Instead of a gentle lilac spiral, the blue-and-black abominations were grotesque and puffy. Experienced in the field, Hunter focused her energy and attempted to reseal the mark.

"Holy hell!" her hand was electrocuted instantly. "There's something bigger going on here. Legendary marks are blessings, never curses. The marks shouldn't respond this way." Hunter lifted Kai off the ice and strapped her sleeping form to Drake's leather saddle. She ensured the unconscious girl's safety by double knotting each restraint.

XXX

Hiro studied the new girl closely. She was intriguing, an oddity for sure, and her looks left nothing to the imagination. On her slender arms were a pair of black fingerless gloves. She was wearing a bright pink tunic dress and black biker shorts. Her short legs disappeared into black boots. Peeking out from her hair were large, beaded earrings, which complemented her pokebelt, complete with all six balls in place. He also took notice to the fact that she too, loved bracelets. They covered her forearms almost to her bicep. To complete her look, a practical blue shoulder strap backpack rested over a bow and quiver of arrows.

"She looks like a boss." Riley mused. Hiro couldn't help but smirk. There was an allure about the girl that stirred not only his flirtatiousness but his intuition—a feeling he almost never ignored.

Miracle caught him looking at her and gave him a "what the fcuk are you looking at?" glare. Hiro returned to smelling Kame's fragrant hair.

XXX

"Sid, get your fcuking pony out of my way." Johnny growled. The Rapidash in question snorted angrily—how _dare_ this puny human call _him _a pony? The proud fire horse chomped on Johnny's backside, tearing off a huge patch of denim from the ass of his jeans. The Brit yowled in pain and threw a punch to Sid.

"Your bleeding pack mule bit me in the arse!" he shouted.

"Well no sh!t, Sherlock! Didye need ta announce it to the world now?" Sid shot back. Shane, utterly _done_ with the constant fighting, pushed between him with his Mightyena.

"One. More. Bleeding. Word…" he warned. His voice was low and dangerous. The belligerent Brits weren't heard from again. Shane directed his attention toward Itachi, who was now jotting things down in a small journal. His blond hair was growing dull as the ash rained around them. He looked up with guarded eyes. Venice, being the prying girl she is, cut back behind the group with Cait the Espeon in tow. Like a lioness stalking her prey, Venice crept behind Itachi.

_Slowly…yes…like a defenseless Caterpie snatched out of the grass…_ her mind hissed. She coiled like a spring and—you guessed it—sprung. She tackled Itachi off of his Rapidash and onto the rock face. Which, in hindsight, was not a good choice. He whirled on her angrily, screaming, "What the hell was that for?"

"I only wanted to see what you were doing, Grumpy Gills. Jesus, who lit your tampon fuse?" Itachi stuffed the notebook in his pocket and turned to James, trembling slightly from a case of high blood pressure.

"GET YOUR GIRLFRIEND AWAY FROM ME!" he exploded. James wore a confused look.

"She's not my girlfriend. Shane, do you see any girlfriend of mine around here?"

Itachi smacked his forehead with his open palm. The idiot-oriented atmosphere never ceased to surround him.

XXX

Sunset was arriving quickly, and the group winding up the southern trail was reaching the rendezvous point easily. Vick went ahead to wait at the checkpoint for all of the groups. **(Thanks CrazyYanmega, forgot about Vick -_-) **

By the time Tarkov's team reached Jagged Pass, Vick had set up camp in an enormous cave, moved by the psychic abilities of Duke, Vick's Gallade. Tents and tables and storage were neat and organized, and as the sun slipped past the wall of smoke a roaring fire was started outside the cave mouth.

Talia sat on a low stone bench with her Chingling. She pulled off her hiking boots with apparent effort—someone as dainty as the Martino girl had trouble with the six mile uphill trek. Joe was beside her, shirtless. His large orange t-shirt was folded neatly in his backpack. His Krabby scuttled around his feet. Shane and Itachi's group came next. Due to their nonstop bickering, Sid Vicious and Johnny Rotten were ordered to water the Camp's herd of Rapidash. The ornery stallions and mares were difficult, to say the least. They kicked up soot, were boisterous, and took fondly to biting at the hair of the two Brits.

"I'ma push these mangy mules inteh the magma down there, I will." Johnny readjusted his hole-ridden drainpipes and pushed the herd down the hill to the small creek.

Back at camp, Venice and James helped Tarkov with dinner. Bubbling over the fire was an enormous pot of beef stew. While the broth simmered, Venice's practiced hands sliced and diced carrots, potatoes, celery, and white onion. James stood awkwardly beside her with a dull peeler.

"Y'know James, they say the sexiest men are those who can cook." she winked an emerald eye at him. James glanced at the peeler in his hand and dropped it as if it were on fire.

"I can't cook. I'm not sexy." James spat out the words before he could begin to think.

"You'll give in someday, James. Like at the party?" her last words were barely above a whisper, meant for his ears only. A light blush crept over his cheeks and into the recesses of his brown shaggy hair. When James gave no answer Venice smirked triumphantly.

"Did ya drop something, little bro?" Shane scooped up the peeler and began shaving the potatoes with effortless ease. Shane grumbled and stepped out of his brother's way.

"Y'know James, girls like it when guys can cook. They think it's sexy." he handed his brother the peeler and walked away, permitting a clear view of Venice's "I _TOLD_ you so!" look. James rolled his eyes, grunted at her, and continued to peel.

XXX

Melody and Hunter's group finally made it an hour past sundown. Setsuna was hardly distinguishable—her silvery white hair was now blackened with soot. Hiro and Kame arrived safely, albeit tired. Kai was still unconscious, led into the cave by Riley and a girl that was unfamiliar. Nick and Johnny took to her immediately. Miracle politely declined their obvious advances, and sat down next to Setsuna at the picnic table. Out of her pack came an abused Sudoku book.

"Oh, the extra-tough edition. My father and I used to do those together." Setsuna snapped a picture of Miracle to add to the database and began taking notes. A flash of light illuminated the cave, and on the surface of the table was a small pokemon.

"A Poliwag! I've seen those before!" Joe yelled, scrambling over to plop next to Miracle. He stared at Miracle's beloved "Bubble" with wide orange eyes.

"Yep, that's my Bubble. She and I are honorary members of the B-button league because of her! She just never was one for evolving…" she patted the soft head of the pokemon lovingly. Joe kept Miracle entertained with his jokes and stories while the last of Tarkov's group shuffled in. Kai had been placed on a cot in a dark corner of the cave, away from the smoke and noise. Riley sat next to Hiro and they entertained themselves by starting an arm-wrestling contest.

Reiji was sitting with Setsuna, Miracle, and Joe, and he watched Setsuna's fingers race across the keyboard absently. He was more interested with his conditions. His coughing fits lasted for minutes now, and his red elixir was running low. His Zubat was extremely suspicious, jumping from his pokeball to fly around his master's head around three times a day. Reiji returned him repeatedly. He hated to trouble his closest friends. His illness was his to deal with alone. He popped another cherry cough drop from his pocket and rose to get some stew.

XXX

"Ahh, Mintaka. Your poison proved to be effective." Betelgeuse stroked her white cheek with his tanned hand. Mintaka flushed with pleasure and bowed slightly to her master.

"It was perfect, Milord. I crushed the cursed stone with a hammer until it was fine powder—then I slipped it into the girl's food without her even noticing! She was too busy with her Houndoom." Betelgeuse snapped his fingers and Zara trotted to him, a remote control in her jaws. He took the device and clicked a yellow button. A large screen dropped down in the Orion Hideout, and the image of Kai and Riley displayed on screen.

"Well, at least we know our Murkrow cameras work." Aaron mused. Mintaka nodded.

"I would not fail my master."

Sari rolled her eyes and moved her chair closer to Aaron. She placed her red acrylic nails on his thigh and began scratching idly. His muscles contracted to her touch. A sideways glance of his yellow eyes begged her not to stop.

"Look, the curse was supposed to reverse the blessing of the North Wind. The marks should not be containable anymore." Rigel was given the remote and he fast forwarded to Kai's breaking point. As seen from the Murkrow's perspective, Kai screamed in pain and rolled from the back of Hiro's Charizard.

"The curse intends to destroy the host from the inside out. Her marks are no longer seals of power, they're seals of dark energy. The crystal, once crushed, will be attracted to the negative energy in her stomach and converge within her. Then, it is a ticking time bomb to her doom." Alnilam explained. Her face brightened at the thought of death and bloodshed. At her knees was a putrid Skuntank.

"Excellent. And the tracking device? I don't suppose you fed her a homing chip." Betelgeuse blinked his golden eyes at Mintaka.

"No, Milord, but the energy from the crystal can be tracked with Rigel's scanners." she supplied, praying this would be the right answer.

"Excellent. We shall lead them on a merry chase. Is young Kaiya's death preventable?" Betelgeuse asked, his mind's eye fixated on the allure of her rare irises.

"Yes, Milord. If Suicune appears, then the legendary can cure its blessed child."

"Excellent! Mintaka and Rigel, you will be handsomely rewarded. This meeting is adjourned. We will follow the clueless campers right to Groudon." Betelgeuse clicked the power button on the remote and handed it back to his multi-colored Zangoose. Zara blinked her yellow eyes, much like her master, and put the remote back in its place.

"Meissa. Dog boy. Take Rigel's tracker and follow them. Send the signal when you've reached Groudon's cave. If you come back empty handed…" he trailed off.

"Yeah, yeah, we get it. We'll get our heads chopped off or whatever bullshit you've got planned with this apocalypse shit." Sari spat.

"_Watch your tongue_, _Meissa!_" Betelgeuse snarled. With deliberate flippancy Meissa snatched the tracker from Rigel, linked her arm with Aaron's, and strode from the cave superciliously.

XXX

Kai's pain doubled in magnitude. Her stomach rolled with nausea, and any bodily shift was an explosion in her nerves. Riley kept her company in the darkness of the cave, holding her sweaty hand in his and murmuring assurances softly. Through the pain she could barely discern Riley's words, but decided the meaning wasn't important. The rough, deep baritone of Riley's voice was soothing. Every hour or so he'd bring her water and wiped the sweat-soaked hair from her face. Once she fell into a fitful sleep, Riley left her side and returned to the fire. Hiro had taken Johnny's Spanish Guitar and was serenading Kame. He sang in perfect, accented Spanish. And although Riley knew Kame didn't understand a lick of the dialect, she was captivated all the same.

The couple sat outside, on a ledge, feet hanging over meters and meters of rock face. Riley sat at the mouth of the cave and watched them silently. He had coaxed her out of her eye patch, and the two never broke eye contact.

_"Y ya me contaron  
Que te acomplejas de tu imagen  
Y mira el espejo  
Que linda eres sin maquillaje..."_

He sighed quietly. He yearned for the budding connection that Hiro and Kame shared. Although Riley thought that the two made an unmatched couple, Hiro's flexibility and Kame's large heart made it work.

"_Y si eres gorda o flaca  
Todo eso no me importa a mí  
Y tampoco soy perfecto  
Sólo sé que te quiero así.."_

His mind was so focused on translating Hiro's words that he did not notice Miracle's approach. Her footfalls were light and she crouched next to him. He wouldn't have noticed her if her purple hair hadn't tickled his bare bicep. He looked with blue eyes to her multi-colored irises. She said nothing as she settled in next to him. She sensed his worry and anguish, it was practically rolling off him in waves.

"_Y el corazón no tiene cara  
Y te prometo que lo nuestro  
Nunca va a terminar…_

Y el amor vive en el alma  
Ni con deseos sabes que nada de ti va a cambiar  
Prende una vela, rézale a Dios  
Y dale gracias que tenemos ese lindo corazón…"

Hiro's Jolteon noticed the pair and padded over to them. He took to Miracle immediately. He licked her hand and sniffed her belt, in particular the pokeball with Miracle's Jolteon inside.

"Do you want to meet Opal?" she whispered to the electric type. His ears twitched and he blinked once: _yes._ Miracle smiled slightly and tapped Opal's pokeball onto the cave floor. The energetic and light-furred Jolteon bounced from the light and was on high alert. With a wet nose she touched Jolteon's muzzle in greeting. He licked her in return, administering a slight shock. The two Jolteon jumped back simultaneously.

_"Nadie es perfecto en el amor  
Ay seas blanquita, morenita, no me importa el color…_

Mirame a mi, mirame bien  
Aunque tenga cara de bonito me acomplejo yo tambien…"

The two Jolteon settled with the trainers to watch the miniature concert. Riley's lap became home to Hiro's Jolteon, while Opal was dozing off on Miracle's legs.

"_Y si eres gorda o flaca  
Todo eso no me importa a mí  
Y tampoco soy perfecto  
Sólo sé que te quiero así.."_

"So are they in love, or what?" Miracle inquired. Riley gave her a startled look.

"What a blunt question…hm…I know Kame loves him…and they share the whole blind eye impediment, but I imagine Hiro's love is more protective than romantic. He shields her from the world. From herself. When she moves, he moves." Riley concluded. Miracle nodded, eyebrows raised.

_A complex creature, indeed. _Miracle thought. "And she's engrossed with him. He's the sun to her sky, the eggs to her bacon, the cheese to her macaroni, no?" Riley nodded in confirmation.

"Fan-fcuking-tastic!" she muttered.

"What was that?" Riley asked, surprised at the slew of curses from the violet-haired newbie.

"Nothing…wishful thinking is all." she gave her new friend another smile before rising and releasing Drake. She climbed on his back, called Bubble and Opal to her side, and took to the night sky for some fresh air. Riley contemplated the exchange after she left. Miracle was upset that Hiro and Kame love each other. Does she feel some sort of connection with his blind friend?

Riley shook the discomforting thought from his head and went back to listening.

XXX

Hunter felt the new yet suddenly familiar tears brim in her green eyes. She was growing tired of this new depression. The sudden deaths and increasing danger of this summer was taking a toll on the easily-unsettled counselor. She got on Tropius' back and leapt into the smoke, the coordinates of the nearest hot spring beeping on her GPS. Tarkov released her from duty for the night, their search for Groudon and Team Orion would wait until morning. Hunter found the hot spring (to her great relief) and removed her pants and shirt. She slipped into the warm water in nothing but her sports bra and matching underwear. Teddiursa joined her, sighing in satisfaction to the muscle-loosening water.

"This is great, huh Teddi?" her companion growled an agreement. Hunter felt the anguish within her slowly creeping to the surface.

"I don't feel like myself. Not like the headstrong girl I used to be. Where did she go?" she asked no one in particular.

While Hunter conversed with herself, Vick and Grant followed her silently. He would show his ailing damsel what true comfort felt like. He landed yards away from the spring and undid the button on the pants of his tuxedo. The night air kissed the flesh of Vick Tatter eagerly, the stifling tux did him no justice during the day.

"Where can I find a guy who can just not say anything, not look at my boobs when I'm talking, and just listen for once?" she demanded of the night.

"You never had to look." Vick stepped to the lip of the pool, his pink hair barely noticeable in the moonlight.

"Vick. Go away. I don't need your molestations right now." Hunter sighed. Vick ignored the pejorative and slid into the pool. The water rose a little above his navel. He extended a hand in truce.

"I never meant to scare you, or chase you away." his thin fingers ran the length of her jaw.

"I only want you to be happy, and I can see that this Hunter isn't happy, whoever she is." a sad smile splayed across her lips and the tears came quickly. To Hunter's extreme surprise, her body was inclining towards his, and before she knew it she was leaning into the muscled chest of Vick Tatter, bawling her eyes out.

Just once, a good cry for Hunter Larsen.

Just once, a man who would comfort her without question.

And this "just once" was Vick Tatter.

XXX

**Review! **

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**Tell me what you think ;) **

**-katie **


	31. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

**Hello all, **

**Hopefully our campers stumble upon Groudon this chapter!**

**Check out the forums, and please Review/Recommend! **

**Much love, Katie **

**XXX**

Kai's condition worsened substantially, by sunrise the next morning her nausea had turned into vomiting. Her stomach lurched violently and the stench of bile, pungent and sharp, permeated through the cave.

"Tarkov, we need to get Kai to the hospital." Riley pleaded. His cerulean eyes were brimming with burning tears. The general took one look at the nauseous trainer and sighed.

"Okay. But I can't separate children who aren't in medical distress from the care of a counselor. You're going to have to entrust her to Itachi." Riley grit his teeth, the thought of deserting Kai in a time like this enraged him. But when his eyes fell across her agonized form his anger dissipated. Her well-being was far more important whether he was present or not.

"Go now, Itachi." the younger counselor nodded and took the black pokeball from Riley's outstretched hand. Riley didn't stop watching until his Charizard's black wings faded out of view. Tarkov clapped a rough hand on his shoulder.

"As fast as your lizard goes, Kai should be fine. Get your ass inside and clean up."

XXX

Once the makeshift camp was packed, the camp began their trek up the sweltering slopes of Mt. Chimney. As they ascended, the amount of soot increased substantially. Talia's blonde curls fell limp down her back, blackened to a dark charcoal shade. Berane's white hair had been tainted as well.

Setsuna had far abandoned the hopes of keeping her silver hair clean—she surrendered to the soot long ago. Her silver locks were plaited in a tight weave.

"How long until we get to the next tier?" Kame groaned. Her thin calves were burning at the uphill slant. Sweat stained her striped shirt and the muscles in her thighs were burning. Melody coughed a cloud of black dust and said, "About five minutes or so. Up ahead there are two paths. The first will take us to the summit. The next will dive into the bowels of the volcano. The strong will dive deeper, the less strong will ascend." she turned back to her conversation with Tarkov. The two were quietly discussing things, ranging from Team Orion to Groudon.

"For all we know, they could be watching us as we speak." Melody hissed under her breath. Years of passing secret messages in the Reverse World War allowed her to master ventriloquism. Tarkov's cracked lips barely twitched as he replied, "I don't smell anyone in the area. And don't you think they'd only be guarding the entrances to their cave? That Betelgeuse man is smart, he wouldn't place goons out where we are."

Melody raised a white-blonde brow. She knew the general made a good point.

"Noted. You, Shane, and Hunter can take them below. I'll lead the rest to the top with Vick. We need to stay connected, it's the only way we can stage an attack. Do you still have the GPSs?" the Lieutenant asked.

Tarkov nodded and called Shane over. The older Curtis boy jogged up to Tarkov. His Mightyena trotted behind, shaking soot from her fur as she loped along.

"Yeah, I got the GPSs, sorry to say I was eavesdroppin'." he admitted sheepishly. His blue eyes were apologetic.

"No worries. Just activate them and pass them out to the counselors."

Shane plugged the tiny sensors into his smartphone, flipping a small solar panel up from the top and punching in the correct coordinates. Access was granted to his nimble fingers, and seconds later the tiny clips were fastened to the backpacks of the counselors.

"All right then. Each group will be locatable via tracker. We're set to split in about fifty meters." Shane calculated. With terse nods, Melody and Tarkov began dividing the kids quietly before they reached the fork in the road.

XXX

Betelgeuse and the crew, with Zara leading the way, were coated in black soot. The group was completely invisible in the billows of black smoke coiling out of the mountain. Their plan was simple—once they reached the fork in the paths, they would split to divert the attention of the foolish campers.

"Subordinates will go up to the peak. There, we will have thugs waiting. Battle and kill any camper you see," Betelgeuse began. "I will lead myself, Mintaka, Rigel, Meissa, and Aaron into the depths below. Down inside is Groudon's shrine. We will summon him with the Hero's own words and a blood sacrifice."

"Blood sacrifice?" Alnitak asked incredulously. She hadn't recalled Betelgeuse bringing a hostage to kill.

"Alnitak, darling, this is why you're going to the peak. You will throw one of those weaklings into the mouth of the cavern, if I cannot secure a sacrifice on my own. Do you have your communicator?" Alnitak held up the cuff on her wrist, clicking the power button to indicate its working state.

"Good. Here's the fork. Stay in touch and we'll rendezvous at the peak once we've captured Groudon." With silent nods, the first group melted into the smokescreen above, while the rest began their trek into the bowels of Mt. Chimney.

The path down was wide and sweltering, the temperate skyrocketing substantially by each level.

"Is it safe for us to be down here?" Sari asked loudly. Her obnoxious voice echoed off the surrounding walls.

"You. Damned. Idiot. Speak above a whisper one more time and I _might_ spare your life, little girl." Rigel snarled. Sari flipped her curly hair up into a ponytail and ignored him. When the sweat-dampened mass smacked his face, Rigel lifted Sari by her red cropped shirt.

"Consider this your last warning." his voice was bloodthirsty. Enraged. Sari's brown eyes grew wide in actual fear. The fire of her rude demeanor was quelled quickly. He dropped her onto the warm rocky path and caught up to Betelgeuse.

XXX

"Don't die on me, Kai. You don't ever want to die on anyone." Itachi whispered to her. She was set in a hospital bed, and the weight loss in addition to her pale complexion made it seem as if the sterile sheets were swallowing her whole. At a glance, the only distinguishing feature she had from the white room was her black hair—pushed back into a matching hairnet. The locks were in her puffy eyes and getting in the way of her vomiting spells—so the hairnet was the best option.

At the pokemon center back in Rustboro, the Nurse Joy came in to change her IV. Her stomach rejected any sort of nourishment, from water to soft foods, so her sustenance came through a tube. It would keep her alive, but not strong. Itachi passed the time by counting the tiles on the floor, the ceiling, keeping watch over the number of patients that cycled through the small hospital. Periodic checks on Kai almost became perfunctory—her condition remained static.

XXX

"Stay together…let no one wander off." Melody instructed. Behind her were the "not as brave" campers, which included Talia, Berane (who only agreed to stay after incessant pleading from Talia, Adrianne, Skyler (in the same boat as Berane) Joe, Venice, Nick, and Reina.

Those who ventured deeper into the volcano were Hiro, Kame, Miracle, the Brits, James, Riley, Setsuna, Reiji, and Shane. Hunter and Tarkov joined them and the camp split.

The group that crawled into the cavern began stripping down to the bare minimum—sports bras, undershirts, boxers, anything that would relieve their sweltering bodies. Hiro had no problem peeling off everything but his boxers, nor did Riley, but the more conservative individuals like James and Reiji had bigger problems.

For one, James didn't really care for his body. Not so much his body, but his tan. The skin beneath his white shirt and loose blue jeans was white. Blindingly white. He folded his Johto air force jacket, stuffed it in his backpack, and stowed his jeans away as well.

"I've been in worse." Miracle mused. It seemed as if the girl hadn't even broken a sweat. Her hair fell down her back in immaculate curls, unaffected by the intense temperatures.

Kame and Setsuna, however, were not in the same boat. Setsuna took off her track suit and changed into a red, one piece swimsuit. She piled her frizzy silver hair on her head and knotted it in place. Kame had taken off her sweater, kept her shorts, but borrowed a yellow sports bra from Hunter. She also stole Hiro's black bandana to tame the tangled mass of sweaty hair.

"I am not built for this weather!" she growled. Her Swablu retreated into his pokeball, desperate to find escape from the heat. She sat on a low rock and took a short break.

"Kame, cmon, we have to beat Orion there." Hiro chided. Kame rolled her eyes, took a look at Miracle, and began to pout. She was tired of feeling "inferior" to this new girl. She hasn't even been in the camp for a day!

"Fine." she strapped her backpack on and trudged behind the group. Shane, who was bringing up the rear, grabbed Kame by the forearm and began pulling her with him.

"Get some water in you, Kame. You can't be dehydrated. If something bad happens, your body won't be strong enough to defend itself." he pulled a cold bottle of water from his pack and handed it to her.

Up ahead, Reiji wasn't faring too well, either. His coughs were wet and sticky, and he swallowed the blood he tasted with every heave. He was downing bottled water like it was going out of style. Setsuna offered him some of her trail mix as she grazed from it. His heart almost broke when the cashews crossed his chapped lips. He could not taste it.

Frightened, he asked Johnny Rotten for some candy. Always having a stock of the mouth-rotting sweets, Johnny gave Reiji some sour drops and a chocolate bar. He first tried the chocolate—a dark brand with almonds—and realized the bitter taste was absent. Hoping the sour candy, a taste he was averse to, would pull through for him. But when the lemon-shaped drop touched his tongue, tears formed in his eyes. The sizzling zing was not there.

His condition was worsening.

XXX

"Look, Alnitak, there they are!" Alnilam and Saiph ran to the ledge and looked to the upper level. A small group campers, mostly girls, were trekking up the mountain. Saiph, dark curls wet against his head, slung the bow from his back and aimed at a blonde girl wearing an orange dress. Just as he was about to release the poison-tipped arrow, Alnilam stopped him.

"Not yet!" he hissed. "They must be live sacrifices!" Saiph's brown eyes closed in anger.

"Just shut up and get on the Flygon." Alnitak spat. Saiph's slate eyes were narrowed—he hated being bossed around.

"Whatever. When they reach topside, I'm gonna shoot at that blonde with the orange dress. It's too pretty to be ignored." a morbid smile splayed across his crooked teeth. Alnitak rolled her eyes and shook the red hair from her face. She and Alnilam mounted Draira, their master's Dragonite, and sought cover in the smokescreen.

Below them, the campers were talking idly amongst themselves. Melody brought up the rear, katana at the ready. Her calculating eyes scanned every inch of the sooty rock face. Leading the girls (and Berane/Skyler) was Richochet, Melody's lifelong Zangoose companion. What melody couldn't see, Ricochet could smell with her acute olfactory senses. Light broke through the smoke and the early morning sun stood as a beacon, leading the group out of the volcano and to the summit.

"Phew, we finally made it—" Talia never finished her sentence. A Flygon had burst from the smoke, and its rider laughed maniacally—a freshly shot bow clutched in his left hand. The arrow that had sprang from it was now embedded into Talia's shoulder, the barb four inches above her heart.

Blood bloomed from the wound freely, running down her porcelain skin in deep rivets. She only cried out once before she fell unconscious.

While these seconds passed, a giant Dragonite with passengers arrived on the scene, arsenals of pokemon out and ready to fight.

"Split up! Berane, get Talia _out of here!"_ Melody roared, flinging two pokeballs onto the flat rock before her. Between the campers and their assailants was about twenty yards, so she had to act quickly. Ichigo, her Charizard, released an unprompted flamethrower at the Flygon who was barreling towards her. Behind the great lizard was Cuddy the Luxray, following Ichigo's flamethrower with a thunderbolt. An Orion member with fiery red hair hurtled a pokeball at Cuddy, and from its depths came a Rhyhorn. It charged Cuddy and slammed the Luxray's body to the ground.

"Dammit! Yuki, let's go!" Melody called out her Empoleon, who sprayed a torrent of water onto the rocky quadruped. It roared fiercely in pain.

"Fissure, Rhyhorn!" the redhead shrieked. The beast circled round the group and leapt (with surprising height), arcing over Melody and slamming into the ground. A deep groove cracked the rock, splitting its surface open like a ripe watermelon.

"Berane! Get the hell out of here!" as if snapping from a trance, Berane summoned Angelice, his beloved Garchomp. She fled with the two campers on her back, leather-like wings beating the air rhythmically.

"Shit! Alnilam, she's getting away!" the dark boy shouted. His curly hair was flyaway—an utter mess—so much so that Joe thought he looked insane. His train of thought was cut short by Venice practically yanking his arm out of its socket.

"C'mon, kid, let's go! We need to go back down and warn the others!" From her pokebelt sprung Gallah the Rapidash. Venice mounted her in one leap, dragging the boy onto the horse's back just as a stream of energy grazed his black hair. He watched the solarbeam that nearly killed him punch a hole in the solid rock.

Adrianne and Skyler were fighting alongside each other. Her yellow "I love Canalave" shirt was drenched with sweat, and the purple ribbons in her hair were falling out. Her Frosslass, unaccustomed to the heat, was having a tough time battling.

"Fross, return! Kazza, use psybeam!" her Alakazam glowed a deep purple until the energy exploded from the psychic type. The Orion member with the dark curls shouted in fury as his Bronzor fell to the ground. He threw a pokeball at her in rage, and to Adrianne's discontent, from the pokeball came a Gengar. It immediately faded in and out of visibility, thoroughly confusing Kazza.

"Keep an open eye, Kazza!" she instructed. Before Adrianne could blink, the Gengar appeared from thin air to land a devastating Focus Punch on Kazza's forehead. It knocked the pokemon to the ground.

"Good work, Geng! Hypnosis!" the dark man cheered. Gengar's eyes glowed a chilling crimson before it opened its mouth and cast the sleeping spell on Kazza. Skyler, engaged in a battle with the man named "Alnilam" broke his focus to help her.

"Take Doominate!" Adrianne's eyes widened. Doominate wouldn't listen to anyone but Skyler. That stubborn Houndoom would rather provoke a herd of wild Tauros than listen to Adrianne. But nevertheless, Kazza was in trouble. The curly-haired man, known later as Saiph, ordered a dream eater from Gengar. The Gengar's lips curled over its teeth as the dreams, or life energy, of her Kazza were being drained.

"Doominate! Use dark void!" Adrianne commanded. The Houndoom gave her an incredulous look and sat on his haunches, defiant. Adrianne stamped her foot and got straight in the dog's face. Saiph's Gengar had just finished off Kazza, who was laying unconscious on the rocky floor.

"Return!" Kazza disappeared in a flash of red. "Do you want to end up like Kazza? No? Well now that freak has put his Flygon in. It's two versus one. So unless you're planning to defeat them both with that flamethrower of yours, which could use some work, by the way, I suggest you do as I say!" she snapped. Doominate swallowed his pride and unleashed dark void, a special attack that puts both members of the opposing party asleep.

"You little bitch! No one plays me with my own trick!" Saiph charged Adrianne, a new arrow notched in his bow. He took two strides toward her and released. The girl didn't move fast enough—one of her ponytails was sheared clean off. She watched the long green tresses fall to the ground with sad eyes. Doominate responded to the attack with a fire spin—temporarily trapping the crazed Orion member in a column of fire.

"Adrianne, no! Watch out!" she vaguely heard Skyler shouting at her, and turned around to find a net flying toward her. The wires cut into her skin as they tangled around her—making escape almost impossible. The more the Canalave native struggled, the more intense the pain became. Doominate circled around her frantically, barking for help. Unfortunately, everyone had retreated into the mountain, except Melody and Skyler, who were occupied with the other Orion pair. Saiph sauntered over to her crumpled form, and in his gloved hands was a clump of her green hair.

"Such a pity it was wasted. Oh well, can't do anything about it now, can we?" Saiph sighed dreamily as he took off one of his gloves. He gently ran his finger down her cheek, licking the blood that had pooled in his palm.

"Betelgeuse will be pleased." Saiph snapped his fingers and Alnilam and Alnitak converged on Melody, binding her with a similar net.

"Who to take with you, the boy? The trainer who is of little consequence to me? Or Melody Kirkland, ex-Lieutenant in the first Sinnohian Army?" Saiph looked at Skyler, who was cornered three-on-one.

"Let Melody go. Take me instead." a solitary tear ran down his tanned cheek.

"I enjoy your valor, kid. Get in the net, c'mon." Alnilam said. Skyler did as he was told, was bound to Adrianne, and the group of five dove back into the volcano, racing toward the belly of the beast.

XXX

"Yes. The summoning process is almost complete. We have the red orb, taken from Meteor Falls, correct?" Sari pulled the orb out of her pack and placed it in the middle of the intricate chalk seal Betelgeuse had drawn. It resembled a pokeball, but five points jutted from the perfect circular center. Betelgeuse, careful not to touch the lines, drew more symbols on the outer edges of the pokeball.

"Master! We've got the sacrifices!" Saiph yelled triumphantly. Alnilam and Alnitak tossed the bodies onto the rock floor, laughing softly at their moans of pain.

"Good. Get me Bellatrix's knife." Rigel pulled the rusted blade from his coat pocket and handed it to his master. Betelgeuse shook his head and motioned for Rigel to cut them free, and he did so. Adrianne and Skyler did not bother to move, their limbs were too sore and fragile with the cuts from the wire netting.

Betelgeuse took each of their left palms and took care in carving the necessary symbols into their flesh. There was a spiral, a small symbol that resembled a flame, and a jagged line that was obviously waves of the ocean. Yet in Adrianne's hand, the fire symbol was largest and deepest. The blood from this wound was pressed to the orb.

"Yes…look at the magma!" Mintaka squealed in surprise. Sure enough, the molten rock was bubbling like boiling water.

"Now to add the boy's…" Betelgeuse had made his third slice in Skyler's arm when the "brave" group of campers barged in.

XXX

****

**Reviewreviewreview! Sorry for le wait,**

**I love you all, thanks for reading, and check out Miss Kiko's stuff!**

**Kisses, Katie.**


	32. Where is the Bridge?

**Blah blah blah there is chocolate all over my fingers what the ? **

**Hahaha** I am **writing this at three in the morning seems like, I am tired and high off of chocolate. **

**Leave some reviews, they make me happy and more motivated to update quickly.**

**AND ALSO—I MADE A NEW STORY. CHECK IT. **

**So let's see what kinda shitstorm the CC is in.**

**XXX**

"Let go of those kids!" Tarkov roared. With a flick of his wrist all six of his powerhouses were out—ready for battle. Sari and Aaron responded with their own arsenals. As this was happening, Betelgeuse carried on with his incantations, protected by a ring of his cronies.

Kame watched him, entranced, her eyes glued to the fierce expression on her face. She wasn't sure if it was the strange language, or the sight of the Orion Leader, but something was pulling her in. Seducing her.

_"__Et de sanguine__huius__sacrificium__dixero__bestiae__visceribusinferni__.." _his lips did not fumble once over the ancient syllables. At the end of the first summons, Betelgeuse sliced open Skyler's arm with a slash of a knife. The crimson liquid spurted onto a red orb in the center of an intricate chalk drawing.

_"__O ignis animal, eris in potestate!"_ he slit Skyler's throat as the magma exploded.

XXX

Adrianne's shrieking sliced through the din of the battles—and temporarily halted the chaos of the cavern. Everyone's eyes were trained on Skyler, Betelgeuse, but more importantly, the creature rising from the molten mantle. The bipedal beast shook the embers off its armor-plated body and roared, a sound so deafening everyone fell to the floor, clutching their ears in pain. The only person unaffected was Betelgeuse, who rose with an outstretched hand at the beast.

_"Groudon rex terra, ut vos mihi flectet tuaDomine!" _every time Betelgeuse shouted something in this language, a feeling stirred deep within Hiro and Kame. It travelled from their ears all the way to their toes. Hiro took Kame's hand and gasped—the scene changed before his eyes. The great Groudon was conversing telepathically with Betelgeuse, and Betelgeuse was shouting at it in Latin. Once Hiro identified the language, his brain unlocked the language as if it were decoded, translated. He vaguely wondered if this had to do with the prophecy, or the marks hidden under his jeans…

_You are not the great Hunter Orion…_ a timeless voice boomed. Hiro placed the voice as Groudon's.

"I am not, this is true. But do you not sense his blood within my veins? The incarnation of him, born again one thousand times over?" the pokemon contemplated this for a moment, and ever so slightly, inclined his head.

_I do smell the Hunter's blood in your body. You have summoned me in his way—with blood and darkness. I shall follow you just as I once followed him. _Groudon's enormous head bowed so low that Betelgeuse could probably stretch out his hand and touch the red-hot plates on its forehead. But he did not. He simply pulled a black pokeball—all glass—and tapped it against the head of the beast. In a flash of dark energy, the beast was collected. Conquered.

XXX

It was at that moment that all hell broke loose. Tarkov jumped over his team and made a beeline for Betelgeuse, punching Alnilam square in the jaw and kicking Sari out of his way. He leapt onto the Orion leader, wrenched the pokeball from his hand, and blindly flung it back toward the camp. He thought he saw Taminama catch it. With a battle worn fist, he began beating Betelgeuse to a pulp. Blood poured from now-broken nose of the enemy.

Adrianne struggled to get up, but found Rigel towering over her with his boot outstretched. Her frosslass came to the rescue, springing from her belt and pummeling the enormous man with an ice beam. The pokemon then helped her master to her feet and called Gamma, Adrianne's Magmortar, to help out. With their help Adrianne made it behind the protected line of Hunter and Melody. Hunter fell to her knees with a first aid kid immediately, taking out antiseptic and some derma bond for the slashes on her palm.

Once Adrianne had a chance to relax, she broke down in tears. Skyler, her first love, her first friend, her first…well…anything…

"It's okay, Adrianne. It's okay. It'll be okay. Don't worry, it'll be okay." Reina cooed, smoothing Adrianne's haywire hair from her green eyes.

"Get me out of here. Now." she whispered. Reina looked to Hunter, who nodded, and with a flash of Nova's pokeball the two girls were headed to the pokemon center. Hunter turned to Melody's wounds then, gingerly cleaning and suturing the cuts she received from Orion's wire nets.

Beyond the counselors was a fully engaged battle between good and evil. Nick, armed with his Quilava, assaulted Sari's Seviper.

"Lava plume! Follow it with iron tail!" the Spectra boy ordered. The plucky fire type spewed smoldering lava onto the serpent, who hissed in agony. The blow given right after buried the snake in the ground.

"Sev, get up! Poison sting!" Sari screeched. Just as Quilava was about to strike again, Seviper lashed out with the tip of its barbed tail. The barbed point stuck in Quilava's right flank, injecting the pokemon with a good dose of venom. Quilava ripped the tail from his leg and stumbled around, thoroughly poisoned.

"Return, Quilava!" Nick thanked his fire type silently as his Dragonair stepped up for battle.

"Aurora beam! Finish off that bitch!" Nick spat. The dragon pokemon shot a Technicolor ray of energy from her pure white horn, vanquishing the Seviper and sending Sari flying back into a rock wall. Nick sprinted to grab her when an enormous Arcanine tackled him. The force from the dog knocked the wind out of him, and upon contact with the ground he could've sworn he felt a rib crack.

"Fire fang, Grim! Finish him!" the wolfish boy yelled. His orange hair and golden eyes were blackened with soot. Setsuna sprung into action then—her Totodile released a hydro pump that threw Grim against the wall. Expression blank, Setsuna followed her Totodile's attack with a roundhouse kick to the wolf boy's face. Her track shoe split Aaron's lip—spilling blood all over his sharp canine incisors. Saiph escaped from a tangle with Riley and Venice to assist his fallen comrade. He drew his bow and let an arrow fly—piercing a node in Setsuna's back.

The silver haired trainer fell to her knees, gasping quietly in pain. Despite the fact that Saiph would surely fire again, ending her life, she was elated. This was the first thing she had truly felt since her crippling attack. The traumatic event that stole her sense of feeling, emotion, her tactility. She could now feel pain.

Revitalized, Setsuna tore off her jacket, unhooked the arrow from her node, and took off the shirt covering her back. The three metal circlets jutted from her olive skin, exposed to the air for the first time in a long time.

"Totodile, metal claw!"

"Flygon, solar beam!" the two pokemon clashed in the middle, and out of the smoke jumped Saiph. He had abandoned his bow in favor of a thin rapier. He slashed at Setsuna, who in turned dodged every swipe with ease.

She cut into a space Saiph left open and kicked—knocking the sword from Saiph's hand and tossing it into the magma. Saiph recoiled quickly, kicking a pile of ashes up into Setsuna's face, blinding her. He tackled the young trainer to the floor and forced his arm into her windpipe.

"GET OFF OF HER!" Reiji roared, kicking Saiph off of Setsuna and protecting her once more, just as he did the night of her injury.

_The thieves beat Setsuna until she succumbed to their wishes, revealing where her family stored their money and personal information. But even then…they beat Setsuna relentlessly. They wanted to kill her father, they were convinced he owed them money. Reiji heard Setsuna's screams from across the street. He barged in to find her body twisted in a terrible shape, blood running everywhere. She was unconscious. _

_He knew that if he didn't do something quick, his best friend would lose her life. He called out his Zubat, who sunk his fangs into Reiji's arm, drawing out the healing potency of his blood with ease. Reiji siphoned it into a cup and poured it into Setsuna's mouth. After three agonizing minutes, her breathing regulated, and her eyes fluttered. He fled the house and never told a soul that it was he who saved Setsuna Aozaki's life. _

Yet that one move was all Reiji could muster. He collapsed soon after.

His Hapiny sprang from her pokeball and scooped up her master with amazing strength, running away from Saiph and Setsuna.

"Kame, help him!" Setsuna cried. She stood to run to Hapiny when she was cut off by Miracle. Her purple hair smacked Kame in the face accidentally, and this only spiked her anger. Drake, her enormous Dragonite, took Reiji out of the pink pokemon's arms and flew topside. Miracle took the bow off of her back, slipped out of her purple jacket, and notched an arrow to kill Saiph. Kame noticed that on her upper arms were two tattoos—on her left was a Dragonair, who coiled up her bicep, and on the right was a Milotic doing the same thing.

"_This girl is seventeen and she's got tattoos?"_ Kame thought incredulously. Miracle wasted no time and shot the first arrow, which pierced Saiph's right arm. The bow dropped from his hand, useless.

"Bubble! Use water gun!" she ordered. The adorable Poliwag shot Saiph again and again with streams of water.

"Do you feel like dying, creep?" Miracle taunted, shooting another arrow right into Saiph's leg. While Miracle was killing Saiph, she failed to notice Rigel running up the path toward her, leaping over Sid and Johnny, who were tending to a burn on James' side.

He landed a spine-crunching punch onto Miracle's upper back, knocking her unconscious with one blow. Her Poliwag shot spurts of water in fear at Rigel, but he would not be beaten back. Just as he was about to strike again, Hiro and Jolteon leapt in front of him.

"Volt tackle!" he cried. Jolteon bristled with electricity, shooting straight for the stomach of Rigel. Upon contact, the straight brown hair of the muscled grunt was frizzed—electrified—and stood erect on his scalp. Hiro hoisted Miracle's small form onto his shoulder. She was surprisingly light for being so curvy. Her endless purple hair covered Hiro's good eye, making vision nearly impossible. He switched from carrying her on his shoulder to carrying her bridal style—and tried not to step on the train of her in Miracle's wake. He gently put her lithe body with Hunter and Melody and turned to find Betelgeuse in his path.

"Look around you, Taminama…what do you see?" his voice was nothing short of ominous. Hiro hesitantly glanced around the cavern to see everything had stopped. Time stood still, and no one was moving but Betelgeuse and Hiro.

"H-how are you d-doing this?" the blind boy asked. Betelgeuse smiled and pulled an object from the pocket of his suit—it looked like an old-style watch. Betelgeuse opened the watch to reveal cracked glass and ancient hands—the watch was carved from stone. It had no gears or mechanisms, so how were the hands moving? What made it tick?

"This is the timepiece of the great Hunter Orion. Of course, it can only be activated with the power of a legendary..and you, my boy, have something that belongs to me." Hiro gulped. The glass pokeball in his pocket seemed to be burning hot against his skin.

"Groudon isn't yours to control. You've taken too many lives, Betelgeuse. So suck my d!ck!" Hiro took the glass ball from his pocket, waved it in his face, and ran.

Hot in pursuit, the pokemon of Betelgeuse tore after him, teeth gnashing and claws razing the cavern floor. Hiro barely made it to the mouth when they were on him.

"Charizard! Torterra! Help me!" Hiro moaned. The two beasts roared into existence and beat back Draira, Zara, and Betelgeuse's Heatran. Charizard scooped up his beloved master and flew back down to the cavern, recalling Torterra as they fled. Charizard swooped above Betelgeuse and Hiro jumped—praying that his lack of depth perception wouldn't overshoot his landing.

It didn't. He landed on Betelgeuse and tore the necklace from his neck, flinging it into the magma. When the ancient magic struck the lava, a bright white light flashed, followed by a small explosion. Time resumed.

XXX

Hiro and Betelgeuse were engaged in hand-to-hand combat now, a skill foreign to the blind boy. He saw Bellatrix's blade in Betelgeuse's hand and wrenched it from his grasp, trying to slash open the golden eyes that haunted his dreams. He desperately called to anyone for help, he could not defeat this villain alone. But as he dared to take a glance around the room—he realized that the C.C. campers were almost defeated. Most were cornered by villains larger and more powerful, others were trapped by their pokemon.

He slammed Betelgeuse to the ground again, hoping to knock him out by striking his head. But this tactic did not prevail. With a terrifying start, he watched the glass pokeball fall from his pocket and roll right next to Betelgeuse's face. If he let go of his hand and grabbed the ball, Betelgeuse would surely stab him. If he didn't, one of his minions would grab the ball instead. He knew what he had to do.

Before he could release the hand and take a dagger to the throat, the pokeball opened, and out came Groudon, who roared at the Taminama boy. The force of the shout blew Hiro off of Betelgeuse's body and onto the ground.

_Do not challenge me, blind one. _The Groudon warned. _You and your friends would do best to leave my master alone._ Hiro made sure not to make eye contact with the colossal creature and nodded.

_Leave! Or fall victim to the molten rock._ The Groudon stomped its foot in the magma, sending a wave of deathly lava over the cave ledge and dangerously close to the campers.

"Krabby, protect!" Joe shouted. His faithful friend cast a shield so large and strong that the magma doubled back over, receding into the pool it came from.

"Electabuzz, teleport!" Tarkov roared. In a flash of purple light, the entire camp was transported to the Rustboro City pokemon center.

XXX

**REVIEW! SORRY Skyler. You will be missed. **


	33. A Sitist Nunquam

**Hello everyone!**

**Please PLEASE please check out my other OC stories, suggest to others, etc!**

**Thanks to all who read and review, you guys seriously make my day.**

**REMINDER: OC submissions are CLOSED. Secondly, if your character dies, there's no coming back my friends. I got ppl to please and campers to cycle through. Sorry, loves.**

**Special shout out to Yereton—his review makes me laugh even to this day.**

**"Ps. Epic Krabby" gotta love it! **

**REVIEW because I love you! XD **

**XXX**

The funeral of Skyler Court was a sad one. His body could not be recovered, it was destroyed in the magma wave. Skyler, having no parents, was sent away with no blood relatives to come say goodbye.

Adrianne, however, was the last person who wanted this job to be hers. Skyler's pokemon, who managed to escape the cavern, were now in the ownership of their master's best friend. Some wished to leave, which Adrianne understood, but most cried in the arms of their new master.

"Tarkov," she sniffed. "I want to go home. I can't handle this camp—or the danger—without him."

Tarkov crouched beside the broken girl and placed an enormous callous of a hand on her shoulder.

"That's perfectly fine," he rose and gestured to Vick. "Could you take her back to the pokemon center?"

His co-worker nodded in agreement and called out Grant, his Salamence. The beast bowed his scaly head, patiently waiting for Adrianne to mount him. The green-haired girl had tied black ribbons in her hair—in mourning for Skyler. She wondered if she'd ever want to change their color again.

"Where will you go?" Reina asked. "Are you starting your own journey?" Adrianne contemplated this for a few moments, gnawing on her lower lip in thought.

"I don't really know. I need to get back home first and let Canaclave City know what happened to Sky. So we can have a proper service." her happy-go-lucky attitude was completely absent. A determination and hardened gaze replaced the smiles and laughter that once occupied her young face.

"Goodbye, Camp Catchem'all. I would say I'm going to miss you, but then I'd be lying." her last words broke as they left her lips, and her sobs were audible even as Grant swept her away.

XXX

The C.C. moved on, travelling by bus in the blistering heat. Kai was transported via helicopter to Slateport City, just past the neighboring town of Dewford. Both coincided with the Hoennian sea. An air of tension and unease seemed to lift as the last particles of soot dissipated from the air. Although the tension was lifted, the cloud of sorrow amongst the campers was not. Many wondered if they would be next, many hoped to see the end of Orion. Joe Odinson, in particular, was terrified. A young child of twelve forced to witness the raw, dark side of humanity couldn't help but be distraught. The bus ambled through the roads of Hoenn until the land bridge to Dewford was in view.

"We're making a pit stop. We're going to stay for a few hours, eat, stretch our legs, and move on to Slateport." Melody instructed, turning the large aluminum steering wheel. "You all are to stay together."

"—Yeah, no more accidents, please." Hunter said, reapplying her mascara in her pink compact mirror. Teddiursa growled his agreement as Melody weaved in and out of cars.

The large bus swerved dangerously across two lanes, launching Venice's face into James' lap. The younger Curtis brother blushed furiously.

"Woo, Venice! You're in a public place, remember?" Riley howled "Wouldn't want to get ol' James _excited,_ would you?" Venice sat up straight and reached to smack Riley. She cleared her throat, adjusted her long dark hair, and returned to looking back out the window.

Two rows ahead, Hiro and Kame were talking quietly. She was nestled in the space between Hiro's collarbone and throat, her curved nose barely brushing against the olive skin of her companion. She kept her bandage off almost all the time now—she felt no need for the insecurity any longer. His scent swirled in her nose—throughout her head—making rational thought impossible. Miracle and Johnny sat in the seat beside them.

Miracle piled her endless hair atop her head and secured it with a baby blue ribbon—matching the tight blue tank top she wore now. Johnny chose to go shirtless underneath a thin leather vest. The orange-haired youth was tuning his guitar, with surprising ease despite the fact that there was little to no space between them. Her pink eyes narrowed at the sight of the snuggling couple. She didn't think Hiro belonged with her at all—prophecy or not. Hiro was beautiful. Miracle was beautiful. They had plenty in common, right?

"Oi, whatcha starin' at? Y'know, ye take a pictha it'll last longa." Miracle directed her fiery gaze to Johnny, who could only smile sheepishly. She wretched at the smell of his breath.

"For your information, I'm plotting something here." she whispered conversationally. Johnny widened his blue eyes a little. _This broad is bonkers! _He thought. He gave up on interaction and began singing, "God Save the Queen." Miracle ripped the bow out of her hair and it tumbled around her waist, over Johnny's fingers, sending a delicious waft of strawberries over the heat-ridden bus. It was more than enough to get Hiro's attention.

"You smell good, Miracle." Hiro almost clapped a hand over his mouth. Where did that come from?

Her knowing smile curved her lips into a smirk. She thanked him a little too enthusiastically. Kame snapped out of her daze at the sound of Miracle's laughter and felt anger rise within her. There was nothing more aggravating than the fact that all of these beautiful girls Hiro encounters fall in love with him. Kame didn't ask for it, and she certainly wasn't going to stand for it.

She leaned up and kissed Hiro full on the mouth, and he (albeit shocked) responded enthusiastically.

If this Miracle wanted a fight, well, she was going to get one.

XXX

Dewford was just a short ferry ride across the bay. From there, the bus would eventually take a land bridge to retrieve Kai in Slateport and to start their journey towards the Seafloor Cavern. The passengers, subdued by hours of lecturing from Melody and Tarkov, stumbled off of the bus and into the bright light of Dewford.

"We're only staying for one night…it's supposed to rain and we thought we'd check into another hotel." Vick said. Various murmurs of confusion spread about the campers. There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

"Go on, then! Be back at the Inn around five or so! And don't be late!" Hunter called. But the campers were already gone.

The girls found the local pokemon club exciting and decided comparing cute pokemon for the afternoon would suit them just fine. All but Miracle, Venice, and Kame rushed into the Dewford Pokemon fan club. A man with a large white mustauche introduced himself as Clinton Gale and showed them his Cheruby.

Talia countered with her personal slew of cute pokemon, eliciting shocked cries of approval. One woman, a red-haired Coordinator with a shiny Red Glameow, rushed over to greet her.

"My name is Camilla Cyranna, darling, and I absolutely love your pokemon." she took Talia's small hand in her gloved one and led her to the large cherry wood table in the center of the club. "I raise Chingling on a small estate not too far from here. Was she your first pokemon?" Talia's Chingling hopped up onto the table, striped ribbons trailing in her wake. She jingled to Ms. Cyranna and issued her own hello.

"Yes, Chingling is my starter. My mother gave her to me before she left my father." Cyranna's penciled eyebrows arced high onto her forehead.

"You poor girl." Ms. Cyranna sighed. "—You know, they say the best trainers and coordinators rise from humble or destroyed beginnings." Ms. Cyranna poured herself some coffee from a nearby pot and sipped it quietly.

"I wouldn't say my life was humble…or destroyed…" she was cut off by a loud crash from across the room. Reina stood next to a shattered vase with a covering Nova behind her. The Togekiss had obviously knocked it over, and was trying to shift the blame onto her master. Mr. Gale went over with a broom and the club continued.

"My family is beyond rich." Talia accepted the coffee Ms. Cyranna offered her. "My mother basically bought loads of Poketch stock, and my father is a remarkable entrepreneur. I am the youngest of seven sisters." Cyranna's brows rose even further, disappearing beneath the fringe of hair on her forehead.

"And the pressure?" Cyranna leaned forward, engrossed in her story. Talia glanced around the room with orange eyes, and began combing through her blonde hair with a nervous hand. She didn't like where her story went from this point. Her discomfort escalated when she realized the entire club was listening.

"The pressure was too much. My father wanted me just like my sisters, fabulous trainers with fabulous clothes, hair, makeup, and pokemon. He wanted me to join the company, just like them. Coordinating was something my mother did. Once she left, it was strictly forbidden in the household." Talia swallowed the lump in her throat and drew a shaky breath before speaking. "—My father was enraged when I admitted I was training to become a coordinator. He screamed at me—and told me to leave. His only form of contact now is when he needs to refill my debit card." Tears of shame and anger stung Talia's burnt orange eyes, but she blinked them away.

"Astounding. Have you won any ribbons?" Cyranna whispered. Talia reached into the pocket of her cream-and-roses sundress and removed her teal ribbon case. Inside were three ribbons.

"I won these in Kanto. I'm hoping to make it to a contest in Sinnoh." Cyranna nodded her approval and began asking about camp. The two continued their conversation over coffee and a shared interest in Chinglings and Coordinating.

XXX

The boys, disinterested in tiny pokemon who "as much power as a pooped-out Pichu" hit the surf with gusto. Hiro, clad in his speedo, laid out on the beach with Kame. Jolteon had joined the other pokemon in a game of hide and seek.

Miracle had managed to convince the rental shop to loan them boards if she could beat the owner. The owner, a young surfer with a yet-to-hatch Manaphy egg, declined and parted with his boards. Miracle snatched a purple one and dove into the waves. James, who used to snowboard every winter with Shane in Snowpoint City, thought surfing was close enough. Venice stayed with Kame, Hiro, and Berane on the beach.

"Cripes! I'm sweatin' me pokeballs off, if ye catch me drift." Sid groaned, scratching his groin with a grubby hand. "If it gets any hotter, I'ma hafta start harassin' everyone for shade!"

"Don't you harass everyone anyway?" Kame mused.

"Not the point, Deary. I'm jus' sayin', my face is meltin." he tore off his tank top to reveal row of exposed ribs.

"Like what you see? Ditch ol' patchy there and you can have some Old English Tea once in awhile!" he winked at Kame who raised a blonde brow.

"Sid. First of all, what would Emily say? Second, Hiro is sitting right here!" Hiro sat up, took off his ray bans and gave a small wave. Sid rolled his eyes.

"I was only playin', righ' Johnny?" Johnny snored his response. The orange-haired punk was snoozing in the sun, hand stuck to his stomach. A melted chocolate bar began leaking out of the pocket of his swimsuit.

"Well, I'd say it's time for a swim. Whaddaya say, Berane?" Hiro stood, shook the sand from his speedo, and skipped down to the tide. Berane peeled off his grey t-shirt, his wolf/dragon gloves, and jumped in after him. Kame turned the page to her magazine, unphased by Hiro's absence. Being around him made her more carefree, more relaxed. This silent reverie, however, was broken by musical laughter. Miracle.

She had just narrowly missed impaling Hiro with her board. From the smile on her face and the muscle in her toned legs, Kame could tell the girl was in complete control the entire time. To make matters worse, Hiro splashed water at her afterwards. His hair looked so _damn good_ when it was all wet and messy. Kame rose quickly, accidentally launching sand onto Sid and Johnny, to whom she hastily apologized to.

"Oi! Do ye want sand in me asscrack for weeks now?"

"Cripes, Takeshi, calm your tits, eh?"

Kame uttered her apologies, slightly abashed at the demands of them wanting her to "calm her tits" and strutted down to the water. She knotted her hair upon her head and dove in—to realize how freaking freezing it was. For August, it was ridiculously cold. She paddled out to Hiro with shivering lips.

"Hello, Tortoise! Coming out of our shell, aren't we?" Miracle called to her. Kame whirled with a piercing glare—how dare she call her Tortoise? Hiro wrapped his arms around her and spun her into his chest. The surf crashed against his back, but she was shielded perfectly.

"Kame, don't let Miracle get to you." he kissed the top of her hair. "Strawberries?" he sniffed again. "Did you change your shampoo?" Kame blushed slightly—she'd never admit to borrowing a spray of Setsuna's perfume. So she shook her head and commenced body surfing. Kame looked toward the shore and saw James and Venice arguing violently. Venice, with a whirl of her arm, pulled a pokeball out of her green bikini.

"Wait—what the hell? Where were you keeping that?" James cried."That's physically impossible."

The smirk on Venice's face offered no explanation. You think my pokemon can't 'hang' with yours? Let's battle!" she tossed the aforementioned pokeball up into the sky, and from its depths sprung a Hitmonlee. A rare smile splayed across the pale face of James—he'd never expected a battle from Venice. He ran over to his pack, retrieved Razor's pokeball, and brushed the brown hair from his blue eyes before summoning him. The Luxray roared in anticipation.

"Monley! Use double-kick!" Monley feinted left at Razor's weak side, and landed a square blow on the Luxray's ribs. Razor recoiled and rolled out of a fall.

"Too slow, Razor, C'mon! Thunder fang!" the Luxray opened his maw, letting the voltage in his attack increase until he almost couldn't control it. The powerful pokemon took two leaps and sprung. Hitmonlee's legs bent low, ready to act on any command.

"Dodge it, Monley! Then use Mega Kick!" but Monley was one second too slow. Luxray's bite caught Monley's left leg just as he left the ground. Razor whipped his head around and slammed Monley into the sand, knocking the wind out of the Kicking Pokemon. The full discharge was released, nearly paralyzing Venice's poor pal.

"Dammit! Let's go Monley, get up! You can do it!" the Hitmonlee squeezed his eyes tight—indicative of struggle—and forced his way back onto his feet.

"Low kick!"

"Thunder!" Venice was silently grateful the beach was almost deserted—it was Tuesday afternoon on the Hotel's private beach. Razor's Thunder attack drew dangerously close to a few of the plastic chairs set out by the hotel.

"Move, Monley!" Monley complied with an athletic back flip over the attack. Monley doubled back and kicked Luxray between his red eyes. Luxray swayed dangerously and fell to the ground.

"That was quick." Venice sighed. "Well, IN YOUR FACE! WOO!" Venice shook her hips and hugged Monley.

"Virgin Margaritas on me!" she laughed, skipping the entire way to the small cabana bar at the top of the beach. The small establishment was owned by the Hotel, and the young trainer behind the bar was very cute, in Venice's opinion. His nametag read "Stephen Okazaki" and he had brown hair that was spiked in the front. It was poking out of a weather-worn blue and red cap. He was on the tall side, with large green eyes. His jaw was strong and his smile was white. His expression was at first tentative, but he soon asked her what she wanted. Venice, never wanting to miss out on a flirting opportunity, began to play it up.

"I'd like a round of mangaritas for my friends, please. I'm Venice, by the way." she winked a green eye that mirrored Stephan's pair. He shook her hand and went to making the drinks.

"So what brings you guys to Dewford? No one ever comes around here much, except businessmen eager to get to Slateport." Stephan shoveled ice and fruit into a giant blender on the back counter.

"We're from the travelling summer camp, Camp Catchem'all." Venice winked. "We get to travel across all the regions, ending in September." Stephan nodded in acknowledgement, and began dividing the smoothies into Styrofoam cups.

"Just bill room 416, please." Stephan punched a few numbers into the register and handed her a receipt.

"Thanks for stopping by. And if you're not too busy with emo kid over there, what say you and me go out tonight?" he winked a green eye at the receipt and returned to his work. Venice glanced at the paper in her hand and almost swooned—Stephan had written his phone number at the bottom.

XXX

"Why are you smiling so much?" James asked. "It's a little unnerving."

"Well, Jimmy, it's because I kicked your pale ass at a pokemon battle. Here's your smoothie!" she shoved one of the cups into James' left hand and laughed loudly.

"You're a little insane." he muttered, slurping on the orange drink with pursed lips.

"And you—" she ruffled his hair. "—were dropped at birth." Venice set the drinks down and screeched at everyone to "COME GET A DRINK, BITCHES!" She plopped down next to her horde of blended fruit with a little sigh of satisfaction. The C.C. members, boiling from the August heat, jogged up the scalding sand to join James and Venice under the canopy. Sid and Johnny, who had managed to convince Hiro to join them, got out their instruments and began to sing "Lay Me Down" by the Dirty Heads. It was the perfect beach song. Miracle and Bubble decided to sunbathe with Venice and (to her displeasure) Kame. Reiji and Setsuna joined the lazy camp members after an hour or so. Setsuna, who had been completely revitalized by the electrical shocks of the cavern, was smiling and laughing at the world around her. Some old habits die hard, however, as she typed away on her laptop. Reiji was deteriorating by the day, it seemed. He sipped on his smoothie with apathy—there was no taste to the supposedly sour drink. He drank water by the gallon—the dehydration experienced in the cave was nothing compared to this. His condition was worsening. He needed help.

XXX

"_Me magna pecus_." the ancient language rolled off Betelgeuse's tongue as he addressed Groudon. "_Resque iam mundi_."

"What the fcuk is he saying?" Sari hissed.

"Shut up, you idiot! Don't you know? It's just latin." Aaron narrowed his yellow eyes and Sari rolled her brown ones. She thought he was a little rude.

"Well, if you're such a damn genius, why don't you translate for me?"

"Sure, retard. He's talking to Groudon about awakening Orion's beast."

"_Bestia sine anima. Inferticit omnes._"

"Groudon just said that Orion's beast has no soul. That he destroys all in his path." Sari felt a small twinge of fear form in her iron stomach. If this thing was getting out, it was gonna get _out._ She wanted to have no affiliation with a monster who, "could tear a man apart with a gleam of its eye."

"Will you two shut your mouths? Don't you see our Master talking?" Rigel snapped. His Machoke flexed its muscles in warning. Betelgeuse, however, ignored the chatter behind him and carefully approached the colossal pokemon. Currently, Team Orion was nestled in the bowels of Mt. Chimney. The next morning was when they were to resurface and begin their journey toward the Seafloor Cavern, to collect Kyogre. The process would take awhile, seeing as they were the most wanted criminals besides those idiotic Kantonian villains who called themselves "Team Rocket."

"Groudon now is explaining the beast's appearance." Aaron whispered. The point of his sharp incisor brushed Sari's ear and she shivered in pleasure. With a wicked smirk, his tongue outlined the shell of her earlobe and Sari bit her lip to keep from sighing.

"Stop distracting me and translate, you damn horny wolf-kid-thing!" Sari demanded. Aaron growled a chuckle and pulled a sketchbook and pencil from his pack. His left hand whirled across the blank page, outlining detail and smudging the mistakes into nothingness. The beast forming on his notepad was frightening, if Aaron had translated correctly. The beast had a large, misshapen head, and in its maw were rows upon rows of teeth. The skin, or scales, or fur, or whatever pelt this pokemon had was as black as coal. Its eyes were large and set wide apart, and in them fire seemed to blaze.

Large spine-like appendages sprouted from the curved spine of the beast, curling down into a tail that could smash an entire city like a roach. Its arms, albeit thin, ended in lethal-looking claws.

"What….is…..that…?" Sari could no longer contain her cool façade. "That's no known pokemon I've ever seen." in a moment of curiosity, Sari pulled out her pokedex and pointed it at the picture. After a few seconds of scanning, the device was dumbfounded.

"_No pokemon entry available_." with an agitated huff she flipped the red pokedex closed and stuffed it into the pocket of her jeans. Aaron continued his horny hand-roaming once Sari settled in her seat.

XXX

**Woo little tease chapter. Not a lot going on, just setting the stage for the total shitstorm to come. **

**Keep reading, sorry for the gaps between updates, and the shortness -_-**

**Review ?**


	34. The Chosen Few and the Doubtful Many

**Long time since I updated C.C.**

**So please enjoy and please review! **

**XXX**

The camp arrived in Slateport the next morning. James still nursed emotional wounds from the day before and excluded himself from all interaction. The black bus pulled up to the Slateport General Hospital, where Tarkov and Melody rushed in to see Kai. Hunter, Vick, and Shane kept the children company outside. Storm clouds rolled in from the west, threatening to shield the sun within the hour.

"Summer storms are the worst." Talia mused. Out of her backpack came a tiny orange umbrella that unraveled to be quite large.

"How does that even fit in there?" Berane asked. Talia shrugged and opened it. It had white flowers and a criss-crossing pattern on top. Her Chingling clung to her leg tightly—she hated the rain.

Thunder clapped and the first drops began pouring down. Melody exited the hospital with a sad look and whispered something in Hunter's ear. The green-haired counselor swallowed hard and her eyes fell on Riley, who stood at full attention. He strained to hear their quieted conversation.

"_They don't believe she'll make it through the next month._" Melody hissed. The blonde counselor walked over to Riley and touched his arm.

"Would you like to see her?" she asked calmly. Riley found himself nodding and he followed the two counselors inside. The fluorescent lighting and white walls burned his eyes. He knew Kai wouldn't like it in here if she knew where she was. There was no color, no life. It was too clean to feel safe.

Melody and Hunter said nothing during the elevator ride, or checking into the Intensive Care Unit of Slateport's hospital. Riley was given a mask and he put it on before a doctor pulled back the curtain to reveal Kai. The brunette boy almost fell to his knees.

"This isn't Kai." he gasped. "She isn't dying like this." The body that slept in the small hospital bed was thin. Her skin hung over her bones and there were deep bruises under her eyes. Her face was a pasty grey and her lips were chapped. Her purple eyes never opened. A machine behind her headboard pumped air in her lungs. Tubes protruding from her stick of an arm kept her fed. And he couldn't tell, but he guessed they had machines dealing with her waste as well.

"She's in an induced coma, Mr. Hansen." the doctor explained. "We're keeping her alive, but the power from that pokemon is sucking her life force away. It seems the North Wind needs her life to carry out a specific deed."

"But why would Suicine do such a thing?" a raspy voice demanded. Tarkov had entered the sick area with a white mask of his own. His scarred blue eyes were narrowed—Riley surmised that he didn't trust health care.

"The reasons behind Legendary plans are never sure. In almost all cases, the victim the Legendary decides to mark is always compensated for the great sacrifice they pay to the pokemon."

The medical professional took a gloved hand and gingerly lifted the edge of Kaiya's nightgown. The marks were green, not blue, and were puffy and swollen.

"These marks are tainted." Hunter declared. She lifted her own shirt to expose her healthy marks. They weren't raised at all, it looked more like a tattoo than a wound.

"Oh, my! We need to cleanse her spirit. It's been tainted, then." Riley squatted next to Kai's face and grasped her weak, cold hand in his warm ones.

"Come back to me, Kaiya. Come back. I can't lose you, too."

XXX

Hiro scrambled to the top of the bus to bathe in the rain. It was his favorite kind of weather—didn't have to deal with sunburns or heat or snow. Just cleansing rain. Jolteon, not an enormous fan of water, took refuge inside the vehicle among the other campers.

"Yo! Yer gonna catch cold, ye git!" Johnny called. Hiro snorted and ignored the Brit. He would take a runny nose if it meant he could feel the drops of water kiss his face.

Inside the bus, small cliques formed between campers. Things were getting dangerous. For some, the camp was their new home. Their only home. It was no longer a retreat from the terrors of their past lives. There was danger, _real, life-threatening _danger_, _and some of the campers were wary of the peril.

"This is supposed to be a summer camp. I know we signed a bunch of paperwork releasing us from legal rights, but the death thing isn't quite working for me." Nick Spectra sighed. His brown spiked hair had been flattened by the rain, and the confidence in his blue eyes looked dampened as well. Reina sat next to him and nodded.

"I'm getting scared. I want to leave the camp." she whispered. To avoid making eye contact with the others, she played with the zipper on her white vest.

"I'm not leaving!" Venice half-shouted. "This camp is where we belong. We have a job to do! A date with destiny!" she was standing now. "If any of you leave, you're chickening out on an opportunity to save the world." Cait, her Espeon, sprung from her pokeball to mewl in agreement.

No one had much to say, the bus was divided between Nick and Venice's differing opinions.

XXX

And that was that. Nick and Reina left that afternoon. No second thoughts. They released themselves and took their money, paperwork, and some food to begin a journey of their own.

"COWARDS!" Venice shrieked. "The two of you!" Nick brandished his middle finger and turned on his heel, grabbing Reina's hand and yanking her towards the road.

"Where are you even headed?" Emily Johnson asked. Nick shrugged and mumbled something along the lines of Sinnoh. Inside the bus, Kame said nothing nor wanted to. One more person who threatened to jeopardize what she and Hiro had was leaving. She was secretly pleased. As if her Swablu sensed her thoughts, the bird chirped at her indignantly.

"Shh, how could you blame me?" she whispered. Her tawny gold curls had been braided back against her head, and she wore an orange striped sweater with black shorts. A bad choice for rain. The Swablu ignored her master and turned to face the window.

The remainder of the counselors and Riley got back on the bus and Tarkov slid into the driver's seat. "Better belt up, pansies. We've gotta make it to the Seafloor Cavern by tomorrow. If we're going to save Kyogre, we can't be driving like Grandma back there." he gestured to Hunter.

"Hey! Who you calling Grandma?" she snarled. Her green hair bristled in anger and her eyes narrowed. Tarkov shrugged and stomped on the gas pedal, lurching forward and blazing down the highway. Everyone was nearly thrown from their seats.

On the roof of the bus, Hiro screamed in terror.

"_Did you forget I was up here_?" he yelled. Hiro held onto the slippery bus with his fingertips. He couldn't find purchase and reached down to release Charizard. The great lizard roared and scooped up his trainer with clawed hands.

"I'm sorry for putting you through the rain." Hiro apologized. Charizard seemed to shrug and flew up to the nearest window. Miracle lowered the glass and helped the half-blind boy inside. She pulled a small washcloth from her bag and began drying Hiro off. She roamed his sopping body freely, and Hiro blushed.

"Uh…can you not?" he asked politely, taking the cloth from her and wringing it outside the window.

Miracle huffed in disbelief. _He doesn't take the subtle bait, or the direct kind either? _She thought angrily.

Hiro got up and moved to the back of the bus precariously, trying to stand up through Tarkov's insane driving. He barely made it to the seat before the old general slammed on the breaks and sent Hiro flying next to his Jolteon.

Not much was said throughout the short drive. Joe was busy showing Emily how his gameboy worked. Kame sat in the back with her Swablu, across the way from Venice, James, Berane, and the Brits. The counselors sat in the front.

"No one under seventeen can fight in this next battle." Melody said suddenly. Cries of outrage erupted from the younger campers. Kame looked to Hiro who was already staring at her. Weren't they a part of the prophecy together? Hiro shrugged and turned back to Melody. Joe Odinson felt sleighted.

"If it wasn't for my Krabby back in that Volcano we'd all be turned to ashes!" Krabby snapped his claws for emphasis.

"That might be true, but I won't have anyone who isn't a legal adult go out and die again!" she roared. The outburst was unexpected and violent, and shut up the younger kids immediately.

"Who does that leave us with, then?" Vick asked. His pink hair stayed spiked despite the hard rain, and his teal goggles had been pulled down over his eyes to shield from the water.

"Hmm. Hiro, James, Miracle, Sid and Johnny. Riley, Setsuna, Reiji, and Berane." Venice piped up about how her seventeenth birthday was next week, but the counselors ignored her pleas.

"It wouldn't be right." Hunter said. "If I gave you a right, suddenly everyone would be making excuses. We're going to war here. This isn't about summer camp anymore." her voice adopted a solemn tone.

"It's not?" Johnny asked incredulously. Sid punched Johnny in the jaw and called him a wanker.

"This ain't the time for tha', ye idiot!"

"I was jus' tryna lighten the mood a bit."

Shane shook his head in disbelief. _Do these kids realize how involved they are with the fate of the world?_ He thought.

XXX

An Inn on Route 128 was where the younger campers would remain. The Inn was a traditional, Japanese-style Ryokan. The verandah circled the inn and was made of a light oak, as was the rest of the buildings. It was a one-story establishment, with a large central living area, a pokemon center, and rooms that would sleep four.

Vick and Tarkov stayed behind, checking the campers in and keeping strict watch over them.

"We'll go on a hike later, you guys. Hunter, Shane, and Melody are taking the olders to the seafloor cavern." Tarkov was sitting in a low-raise armchair and had untied his boots. He looked withered and older than he had ever had. He dismissed the campers without yelling at them once.

The boys and girls divided amongst themselves and sat in their rooms. There was no desire to break free and chase after their older counterparts. There was no inner fire that would ignite a fighting spirit. The boys played cards as the rain poured outside, and the girls gave each other manicures. Their moods were as dark and dismal as the storm outside.

In the girls' room, Venice, Kame, Talia, and Emily gossiped over pink polish and a bowl of popcorn.

"So, Kame." Emily began. "What do you think of Miracle?"

In her mind's eye, Kame saw the long purple hair, which never matted or tangled in the haphazard weather. Her multicolored eyes, which rivaled Berane's eyes' beauty, or even Hiro's. Jealously flared hot in her chest and words fell out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"She's a bitch. She's a sneaky little bitch who wants to steal Hiro from me!" she huffed. Talia's orange eyes were wide. She didn't feel comfortable talking behind anybody's back—even if it was Hitler's back. Kame saw Talia's discontent and sighed.

"What I mean is that—"

"No, I understand. Miracle talks to me. She _is_ trying to steal Hiro." the blonde Italian admitted. Kame's mouth fell open dramatically. "She tells me you're too young for him. That you're too shy and childish."

"Childish? Shy?" Kame whispered. Could she be childish in Hiro's eyes? She was barely a few months over sixteen. She _was_ shy, Miracle was right about one thing, but childish? She remembered the meatball incident months ago…

_She looked up from her lunch to see Rey pulling an udon noodle out of his nose and through the other nostril, suspending a dumpling on the strand. Kame's sudden urge to laugh sent the mass of food out of her mouth and over the table. Mortified, Kame stood up and ran from the room._

_No one seemed to notice, however, because Anthony clapped Rey on the back and sent the noodle out his nose, with a few inches left inside. Anthony's twin began to sneeze repeatedly, and with each exhalation another inch of noodle came out. It was enough to send everyone into a fit of laughter, and was enough to prevent anyone from realizing Kame had left. Except for Hiro. He ran after her and found Kame sitting on the roof of Cabin 3 with a red face and swollen eyes._

_"Kame?" Hiro called._

_She shrunk away and retreated further up the roof. Kame's Vulpix growled in defense—it was clear that it didn't want Hiro here. But Kame hushed her companion and answered him._

_"What do you want?"_

_Hiro frowned and began to climb the side of the cabin. Only once did his footing falter, and Kame was at the edge of the roof in an instant. She grasped his cold hand and helped him up._

_"Thanks, Kame. Why are you crying?" Hiro sat her down and sat extremely close to her. Kame's breathing quickened once more and she had to relax before she answered._

_"Did you not see me spit my food out all over the table? The entire room saw!" Her blush reddened and she hung her head in shame. Hiro shook his head and smiled._

_"Kame, you are so wrong. No one saw you but me, and frankly, it was funny. I don't think you're gross. I don't think you're weird. There's nothing to worry about. Everyone was staring at Rey's freaky nose trick. I promise." He grasped her hand and his cool touch made her jump._

_"Don't be scared, Kame. No one's here to judge you, okay?" Despite the crazy pandemonium taking place in her heart, the rest of Kame (the sane side) began to relax._

_"Should we start planning for tonight?" Kame suggested, scooting away and to the lip of the cabin._

_Hiro nodded and helped Kame to the ground._

_"Promise not to spit food on me?" Hiro teased, and Kame shoved him lightly._

She couldn't believe that that Kame was the same person she knew today. She did act childish often.

"But Hiro likes me, doesn't he?" Kame asked quietly. The question wasn't directed at the girls, but they answered anyway.

"Can never be sure with Hiro. You two both have the blind eye thing. But he flirts with everybody! Maybe he's just protecting you because of the prophecy." Venice mused. A weight dropped in Kame's stomach. Did he just feel sorry for her because of her blind eye? Did everything he did for her throughout the camp mean nothing?

XXX


	35. 2000 Leagues Beneath the Hoennian Sea

**I know I haven't been updating frequently, and for that I'm sorry. I just have zero knowledge of Hoenn, and this region is difficult to write about -_- Until I reach Sinnoh, where everything is going to end, I'm really slow to get this going. So bear with me, my loyal readers. Your reviews (and possible suggestions, hoenn experts out there) are soo appreciated and they honestly are a highlight of my day. **

**Thank you so much, reviewers and people who just lurk. And just because I'm curious, When does the narwhal bacon?**

**XXX**

It was not a day for jokes. It was not a day for laughter, smiling, or goofing off. It _was_ a day business for the campers and counselors who volunteered to plunge into the ocean in hopes of saving the world. Or Kyogre, to begin with. Team Orion's next target would be to capture the ancient sea pokemon that controlled how much the ocean expanded. If this pokemon's power was unleashed, the oceans would spread across the land and consume the earth.

Preventing Kyogre's capture was so pivotal, partly due to Groudon's absence in the recesses of the earth's core. His power held sway over the expansion of land. The dueling forces of earth and water clashed often, but when they rested at peace the balance could be upheld.

If Team Orion was successful in obtaining Kyogre's power, the feud between the ocean dweller and Groudon could resurface once more—throwing the state of the world into jeopardy.

This time, they weren't going to fail.

Hunter, Shane, and Melody all donned wetsuits the color of the ocean. At the water's edge, three submarines waited. They were yellow and spherical, with four large propellers protruding in the rear of the sub. Large rotors and small belts covered the sphere—if the propellers needed to change direction, they could run along the rudders to a new position. In each sub were three seats and one seat for a captain.

"There is no turning back once we go underwater. If anyone is unfit for this mission, please leave now." Shane said definitively. Everyone exchanged glances, curious to see who would abandon such a life-threatening endeavor. "No rational people, then? Cool, let's get moving." He leapt into the first cabin and helped Johnny, Sid, and Miracle inside. The three campers quickly moved to buckle their harnesses and wait for further instruction. Melody would commandeer the second sub, and in with her went Berane, Setsuna, and Reiji. Reiji coughed a mouthful of blood into an already-soaked handkerchief. Setsuna looked over at him with vivacious and calculating eyes. What could be causing this discomfort?

"When were you going to tell me you were spitting up blood?" she said through gritted teeth.

"It's nothing you need to know." Reiji replied, punctuating his words with another wet cough.

"Damn it, Reiji! Get a cough drop or something. Are you sure you're not going to die on me down there?" Melody demanded. Reiji ignored her insensitivity and insisted he go. He couldn't let Setsuna get hurt ever again. Berane, oblivious to the bickering trio, stared out the window and to the sky. The sun was setting and the storm had parted for just a moment. Through the black clouds Berane could see a burnt orange sky—a hue that rivaled Talia's irises. His mind wandered to the worst-case scenario. What if he didn't come home today? What if the last time he stared into Talia's beautiful eyes was when he said goodbye at the inn? His heart skipped a beat as the weight of the task finally dawned upon him.

_Hunter was right_, his mind told him. _This really isn't about summer camp anymore._ He drummed his gloved fingers on the windowsill and waited for the dive that would take them to see the guardian of the oceans—Kyogre.

With submarine one and two filled, that left Hunter with Hiro, Riley, and James in the third vessel. The three boys were completely silent during the loading procedures. None of them had questions or protests. They merely sat rigid and taut in their seats. Hunter closed the top hatch of the submarine and pulled down three levers from the sub's ceiling. Suddenly, the yellow metal plates pulled back to reveal a cabin made entirely of glass. The material was completely transparent, but looked thick enough to withstand immense amounts of pressure. Once they broke the surface, a mass of bubbles forced its way out of the cabin and traveled skyward.

"You boys are brave." Hunter said after a while. Their descent was slow for two reasons: to keep a low profile, and to make sure the water pressure didn't crush their bodies. Large filters running across the top of the cabin filtered water into breathable oxygen, much like the gills on any Magikarp or Goldeen.

"It's not bravery, ma'am." James said respectfully.

"Well the spirit has to come from somewhere, doesn't it? I know that if it weren't my job, I wouldn't be volunteering to come down here. I personally am very claustrophobic, and being stuck almost a few miles beneath air and the open sky terrifies me. You're telling me that bravery doesn't inspire you to jump in to something like this?" Hunter babbled incessantly to calm her panicky state.

"Bravery isn't something I decide to have, though." Riley piped up. "It's just something you have to do. The world's in danger, someone's gotta get in there and bust it up." Riley punched a fist into his open palm menacingly.

"He's right." Hiro said. "I'm not sure bravery even exists. I don't think there's such a thing as bravery, just varying degrees of fear." Jolteon sat in Hiro's lap and stared outside at the schools of Luvdisc swimming by.

"Well said, Taminama. So I suppose all of our fear is minimal to be tackling something as crazy as this." Hunter pressed a large purple button and two headlights flashed brilliantly. The water was increasingly darker as they descended into the briny deep.

"We've lost the terrors of the skies _and_ Groudon already." James said coldly. "We're not losing Kyogre, too."

XXX

Five leagues ahead was a large, black vessel with a large "O" emblazoned on the side. Within its metal exterior sat seven people dressed in black. A man with glittering golden eyes was seated at the helm, hands wrapped loosely around the pegs of an antique ship wheel. At his feet slept a shiny Zangoose. To Betelgeuse's immediate right was Rigel, the enormously built man with blonde hair and an iron stomach. Behind them, Mintaka and Saiph discussed something quietly. Alnitak and Alnilam, the twins, groomed a pair of Glameows in their laps. At the very back were Meissa and Aaron, who were making out in the shadows of the darkened ship.

"We are expected to arrive in t-minus thirty minutes, boss." Rigel announced. He sat at the navigator's controls, running radar that extended two leagues around them in every direction. A map showed them the Seafloor Cavern coming into view.

"Good, Rigel. Keep the radar running. I know those stupid brats from Tarkov's damned camp are following us." Betelgeuse shifted the course of the sub slightly with a turn of the wheel. The path toward the Seafloor Cavern led whoever wished to reach it through a series of intricate turns and a deadly trench peppered with rocks. A singular tunnel whisked them through part of the cave and up into the Seafloor Cavern where Kyogre dwelled. For amateurs, the task was nearly impossible. But to a seasoned villain like Betelgeuse, the work was child's play.

"Milord, what's the course of action you recommend?" Saiph was referring to any run-ins with the campers. Betelgeuse chuckled darkly.

"Kill them. Kill each and every one you can get your hands on." Everyone in the submarine laughed.

XXX

Miles above the four submarines, back in the hotel, paranoia struck in its many forms. For Tarkov and Vick, it was the fear of their comrades not coming back. Tarkov had seen many of his friends fall in the line of duty, but all of his losses were during times of war. The old general feared that this war was only beginning. Instead of fighting for freedom or for liberty or all those other intangible concepts, the fighting took place among women and children. Civilians who had full lives ahead of them. The faces of the three dead campers flashed before the old general's scarred eyes. He imagined their eyes blinking, and how now those eyes would never see the world again. A voice told him he was crazy for thinking of something as stupid and insignificant as blinking, but Tarkov saw the sense of it in his own way. He surmised he simply appreciated the small things everyone else took for granted. Like blinking, or breathing. Or living.

Vick worried mostly about Hunter. His head was swimming with the thought of her green hair and matching eyes. Their time together in the summer camp was igniting a small flame within Vick Tatter's perverted heart. This tiny spark would catch his entire being on fire, hot flames licking every fiber of his being until he was reborn a new man from the ashes of his womanizing life. His mind traveled back to their night in the hot spring, where Hunter broke down in tears. She clung to Vick like a lifeline.

_She needed me then. And I was there for her…unlike now. _

If the reason for his said transformation came back from the Seafloor Cavern alive, he'd never ask Arceus for anything ever again. A serious brush with Team Orion almost always ended in death. The organization had no qualms about killing children or pokemon. For them, if something or someone got in their way, the only thing to do was to eliminate it. This made the odds for Hunter, a strong adversary, extremely slim and dangerous.

Paranoia also became a repeat offender in the case of sixteen-year-old Kame Takeshi. The blonde was so uncertain of everything nowadays. Her fears about her eye, fears about Zangoose, fears about Hiro actually not liking her. The feeling gnawed at her insides, burning like an itch she never could quite scratch. It festered like an infected wound.

The more she thought about it, the more it made perfect sense.

"Hiro was a nice guy to begin with, but he's super flirtatious. Could it have all been a lie?" she muttered. Was Hiro simply pushing her to be strong, so when the time came to save the world she wouldn't break down in tears?

"I can't believe it…" Kame sniffled. "He wouldn't do that to me! He said I was special!" she turned toward her Vulpix, who was always a good listener. She offered her paw sympathetically.

"I'll show him _and_ Miracle. Kame Takeshi doesn't need or deserve this type of treatment! It's time this tortoise ditched her shell." she proceeded to go back to the room to ask Talia for a makeover.

XXX

In the first submarine, Shane and Miracle sat in total silence—except for the synchronized singing of the two Brits in the cabin with them. Sid unnecessarily stole a life vest from the sub's storage closet and yanked it over his skinny body. Johnny wore a skipper's cap over his bright orange hair. They had just begun their third chorus of "God Save the Queen."

Miracle, completely done with singing and noise of any kind, calmly placed both hands on each of their shoulders.

"Gentlemen, please. Would you kindly _shut. The. Freak. Up._" Every sentence was enunciated by the increasing pressure of her hand squeezes. When she released the two, blue bruises began to blossom on their biceps.

"Y'know, fer a girl as beautiful as yerself, you're quite the bitch." Johnny said through narrowed eyes.

"Compliment appreciated. Now please, if you're done worshipping me, it's time to shut your mouth." Miracle braided her endless hair with long fingers. Johnny, knowing that starting a fight this far below sea level could be life threatening, clenched his fists and stared out into the darkness. Shane directed the boat expertly through many twists and tight spaces, until they resurfaced in an enormous cavern.

The three spherical submarines docked beside a large, black ship.

"Oh, god." Berane ran his hands along the black ship's length. "It's Team Orion's! Let's get moving!" Various pokemon scuttled away as they traversed the seafloor cavern's pathways. Hiro's Jolteon used Flash to light the way.

"Everyone arm themselves!" Melody instructed. One by one, the campers released their pokemon of choice. Jolteon for Hiro, Hunter's Teddiursa, James' Garchomp, Alendra the Umbreon with Berane. Johnny called out Smoochum and Sid his Tyrogue. Shane and Shenzi the Mightyena lead the team, along with Melody and Ricochet. Miracle summoned Drake the Dragonite, Setsuna paired with Totodile, Reiji joined his Hapiny, and that left Riley and his Charizard.

The only sound that could be heard in the cavern was their echoing footsteps on the damp floors of the cave. In the distance, a strange blue light began interfering with the light from Jolteon's flash.

"I think that's our clue." Setsuna said. Her laptop didn't get wifi in the cave, but she had hacked the radar system from the submarine and linked it to her watch. Setsuna, within moments, had programmed her watch to show an entire 3-D layout of the area. Her Totodile wove in and out of her legs, keeping a close watch for anything that might jump out at them. The group pressed on until the blue light almost overpowered their vision.

"Up there!" Reiji said between hacking coughs. A short climb up to the craggy rock face would take them directly above Team Orion and Kyogre. The room they stood in had a short ceiling that gradually stretched into the tallest part of the cavern. Team Orion stood on a ledge that hung just above the lip of the enormous blue pool. The new hideout of the campers was nestled behind the group and facing the water.

"Ladies first." Shane ordered, assisting Miracle, Hunter, and Melody before scrambling up the rock himself. The other boys followed suit. Once the Camp Catchem'all team was in place, they settled in to watch the show.

XXX

Betelgeuse had three things before him: an enormous pool of water, where Kyogre lived, the blue orb that would awaken the beast, and a small cage with a cowering Nidoran inside. The blonde woman they knew as Mintaka pulled from her backpack a tattered old book with gold-leafed pages. Betelgeuse accepted the book and flipped to the page he wanted, and began to read in the same strange language they had heard in Groudon's cavern.

As Betelgeuse's lips formed the ancient language, the water that before was as still as glass began churning violently. The blue light beneath its surface began glowing brighter and brighter until even Betelgeuse had to shield his eyes. He raised Bellatrix's rusty knife and plunged it into the belly of the Nidoran, letting its blood run red into the pool. After the blood was whisked into the current, Betelgeuse tossed in the orb and the still-bleeding body of the Nidoran. Its last breath was a drawn-out squeal that cut over the din of the swirling water. As soon as it had begun, the water stopped, and became smooth once more.

"It didn't work!" Sari said loudly. Her annoying voice bounced off the walls and reverberated in the cavern.

"That's because we didn't use human blood!" Betelgeuse roared. He tore a pokeball from his waist and thrust it into the water. Out of the shimmering light splashed a Dewgong.

"Retrieve the orb!" he commanded. The Dewgong barked an affirmative and dove into the depths of the pool. While she was doing that, Betelgeuse wheeled on Mintaka.

"You said that pokemon blood would work!" he screamed at her.

"Milord, if you remember me telling you, it had to be the blood of a very powerful pokemon!" she flinched back as Betelgeuse raised his hand to strike her. Instead of connecting the blow he ran his hand through his brown, slicked back hair.

"Very well, then. Mintaka, your Metagross, please." The Superior's opened his palm expectantly.

"My M-metagross?" she squeaked.

"Did I stutter, Mintaka? Apart from my pokemon and Bellatrix's, which we stupidly released, your pokemon are the strongest!" Rigel opened his mouth as if to protest but a sharp look from Zara silenced him.

"Why not just wait for those Camp brats to come? Their counselors have enough strength to summon Kyogre." Saiph suggested. His bow and arrows were slung across his shoulder as he contemplated the best candidate for the sacrifice.

"Taken into consideration." he paced the edge of the pool until his Dewgong resurfaced, blue orb between her teeth. "Tarkov's pokemon are legends in my hometown. Any one of his will do." With a clawed hand he took the glass ball from Dewgong and asked her to return.

"So we wait?" Aaron asked, hand tangled in the ruff of Grim's neck.

Betelgeuse nodded once.

XXX

Above the villains, the twelve camp representatives sat in a cold sweat. They had all witnessed Team Orion slaughter a harmless Nidoran for nothing. And now, once they made themselves known, Team Orion's mission was to find their strongest pokemon and murder it.

"They want Tarkov." Berane hissed. "But he's not here. I say we trick them somehow. Who can do the best Tarkov impression?" Sid took a huge breath as if to scream and Miracle clapped a thin hand over his mouth before he could blow their cover.

"Not you, ye bleedin' idiot." Johnny sneered.

"I've got footage of Tarkov screaming from past camp days." Setsuna offered. She pulled the backpack from her back and took out her laptop and a set of wireless speakers.

"How loud can those things get?" Riley asked. Setsuna assured the group they were loud enough to be noticeable.

"Well won't the echo just amplify it anyway?" Shane reasoned. Everyone found this bit of logic sound so they listened to the plan that Setsuna formulated.

"It's simple. We're gonna split up Team Orion. I'll plant a speaker in the opening of the cave by the submarines. I'll play the first sound clip, which is Tarkov urging us to be quiet and to follow him." Setsuna handed a speaker to Sid and Johnny, who were to place the first speaker.

"The next one will be attached to Totodile's back. He will run through the cavern with the clip about the importance of the buddy system playing." Taking a moment to secure the device on her pokemon, Setsuna took and breath and continued.

"Once he sends them off, we come in from above and attack Betelgeuse."

XXX

"IF YOU IDIOTS DON'T SHUT YOUR MOUTHS AND FOLLOW ME, WE'LL NEVER MAKE IT IN TIME!" a loud, authoritative voice roared. The Orion members snapped their heads towards the sound. All but Betelgeuse began smiling.

"It's the general!" Alnilam shouted, red hair bouncing with her movements. "Let me go kill him, Superior! Please!" The axe she held in her hands seemed to grow restless in her hands. She wanted to contribute for once. It was always Betelgeuse, Rigel, or Mintaka that got to do the dirty work.

"Do you realize what you've just asked me, Alnilam? Are you unaware that you've just wondered if you could go face General Nikolas Tarkov _alone?_ Have you gone insane?" at this incredulous remark the other Orion members laughed at Alnilam.

"Fine, I won't then. At least send Saiph and Alnitak with me." she retorted hotly. Betelgeuse waved his hand and replied, "I don't care what you do anymore, Alnilam. Just bring me a suitable pokemon or I'm sacrificing you and your brother."

The redhead swallowed the knot in her throat and ran into the darkness, flanked by the curly-haired Saiph and her twin. At the entrance of the cave, Sid and Johnny sat in wait. Each was positioned on the top ends of the trench that led to Kyogre's lagoon. Once the members passed their threshold they'd shove the pile of boulders down into the path to at least slow them down.

"I heard it! It's by the submarines!" Alnitak said excitedly. In his hands was a live cattle prod and at his feet was a snarling Weevile. They rushed around the corner to see the speaker.

"MILORD! IT'S A TRA—"

"Drifloon! Hypnosis!" Hiro cried. The tiny balloon pokemon lulled the assailants to sleep.

"Tha' was too close there, ye hear? Too bloody beautiful to be murdered this young." Sid glanced at his reflection in a pool of water as Johnny and Hiro hid the remaining bodies under a pile of seaweed.

"Oh, kindly shut it, will ye?" Johnny rolled his eyes. "Out of the three of us, Hiro's the best looking git here!"

Hiro smiled awkwardly at the compliment, frankly because he was unsure how to respond to the conversation in general. The half-blind boy took the cattle prod from Alnitak and the pokeballs the Orion members carried on their person. The walk back to their hideaway was as silent as the cave itself.

When they arrived they found two more unconscious Orion members—Sari and Aaron. They must have been sent to retrieve their fellow villains. Setsuna and Reiji stood on the ledge's line, hands clasped, ready to jump down and fight. Everyone else was poised to follow their initial strike.

"This is it, everyone. Watch out for each other. Help one another. I don't want any one dying ever again." Melody said firmly. The campers nodded and charged the cavern, leaping down and unleashing their pokemon. Mintaka sprang into action immediately, summoning her giant Metagross and ordering a Flash Cannon toward their enemy. Rigel's Ninetails belched fiery jets of heat at Miracle, who dodged the blast and (with the help of Bubble the Poliwag) extinguished them in her wake. She gracefully slung the bow from her back into her hands, notching an arrow aimed for Rigel's heart.

"I will _not_ miss this time!" She let the arrow fly and the twine snapped back with a satisfying twang. The silver arrow sailed through the air and Rigel jumped out of the way, cold metal splitting open his bicep. He charged the momentarily distracted Miracle and kicked her in the temple. She sank to the floor with drool dribbling from her lips.

"Daddy?" she asked Rigel deliriously. Rigel crouched to cup the young girl's face with his hand and grinned wickedly.

"Yes, Darling. Daddy will make the pain go away." He squeezed Miracle's jaw with such force that instead of spit flowing from her mouth, gobs of blood steadily ran out. Once Rigel felt something pop he dropped Miracle's unconscious body and kicked it again for good measure.

He was instantly tackled by Hiro. Jolteon attempted to subdue Rigel's Ninetails by sinking his fangs into the fox's neck. Beads of blood formed at the point of contact, but it wasn't nearly enough to fell the great beast. Ninetails shook Jolteon off with a quick jerk of the neck and stamped its paw into Jolteon's throat, ready to crush his windpipe.

"Thunderbolt, boy! Do it!" Hiro screamed. He jabbed Rigel in the ribs with the cattle prod and felt the weapon come to life in his hands. Rigel shrieked in pain and clawed at the metal rod that singed his side. Hiro doubled back and socked Rigel in his jaw. The man must have had a metal plate inside his skull, because Hiro felt his fingers break as his fist made contact. Through the electrocution and raw agony, Rigel smirked at Hiro.

"Foolish boy. There's a titanium plate in my jaw. How's your hand?" he stumbled from the shock he received earlier and now it was Hiro's turn to smirk.

"The saying is an eye for an eye…but in your case, a hand for an eye." And he stabbed Rigel's left eye with the cattle prod. The result was instantaneous. Rigel's skin burst like rotten fruit and blood spurted on his face and shirt messily. Hiro jumped back and scooped up Jolteon in his arm, dragging Miracle away from the writing murderer.

"You son of a bitch! I'll kill you!" he shouted. Hiro deposited Miracle on the ledge they were hiding in earlier and turned to run, but was stopped by a hand encircling his wrist.

"Hiro, wait." Miracle said weakly. "I need to tell you something." Her teeth were red with blood. Hiro crouched over her to listen to her gurgle something into his ear.

"My jaw is broken and my head feels weird. I think my brain is—" she stopped to gasp for air before she drowned in her own blood. "—bleeding." The sclera in her multicolored eyes were darkening into a ruddy pink. There was bleeding there, too.

"Hiro, I don't want to die without telling you."

"Telling me what?" he took her warm hand in his cold one and she looked him straight in the blind eye.

"I love you." she leaned up with the last bit of her strength and smashed her swollen lips against Hiro's. He responded enthusiastically and tangled his fingers in her hair. Who could blame him? Hormones ruled every thought and action that Hiro had now. All his brain comprehended was that a beautiful girl was kissing him, and if he didn't do anything about it the wonderful sensation would stop. Miracle broke the kiss and slipped into unconsciousness.

Just to be ripped back by the hair. Betelgeuse dragged Hiro away from Miracle's limp body and over to the rock pool. Zara the Zangoose kept Jolteon occupied by engaging him in battle.

"You will drown here tonight." Betelgeuse spat. He threw Hiro to the edge and stomped on his windpipe. "This is for Orion's timepiece!" Hiro sputtered and coughed, strangled by the golden-eyed man above him. He scratched at his belt for Torterra's pokeball.

The enormous tortoise broke Betelgeuse's grip on his master and threw the man against the wall. Hiro stood shakily, breathing deeply and rubbing his burning neck. He heard a tortured scream and looked over at Hunter. She was being slowly cut open by Mintaka, whose Metagross held her in place with his psychic abilities. Mintaka had sliced away Hunter's yellow coat and she stood in nothing but her underwear. Melody, unavailable due to a scuffle with Sari and Aaron, was too tied up to assist her co-worker. Shane was trapped in a similar bind with Betelgeuse's Draira, and Alnitak and Alnilam, who had recently rejoined the battles. Sid and Johnny tended to Miracle and the recently injured Berane. His left hand had been sheared clean off by Saiph's Scyther.

"Let me go, you bitch!" Hunter growled. Her Teddiursa tore out the throat of Alnitak's Weevile and left it in a bloody heap on the ground. Muzzle and claws drenched in blood, it leapt to attack Metagross. With its concentration on Hunter broken momentarily, the green-haired counselor picked up Rigel's discarded sword and swung at Mintaka.

"You murdered my best friend!" the blonde woman roared, dodging the initial swing and grabbing for Hunter's hair.

"Your team murdered three of my children!" Hunter snarled back. The sword cut cleanly into Mintaka's left leg. Riley, who just pushed Sari off of him and into the water, sprinted to aide his counselor. Blood flowed quickly from her wounds, and he needed to get her out of there before she bled to death. Mintaka stole Alnilam's axe from her and swung to kill.

"Charizard, flame thrower!"

"Metagross, Psybeam!" the two attacks crashed in a fiery, cosmic explosion that rocked the entire cavern. A large fissure formed in the ground and began working its way up the rocky wall. The brown-haired, shirtless teen hoisted Hunter over his shoulder and ran away from Mintaka.

"Get out of crazy axe lady's way, get out of crazy axe lady's way.." he rambled as he leapt over and wove through fights between pokemon and human alike. His footing slipped right by the rock pool and he fell into the salt water with Hunter on his back. Her ruby red blood soaked in the salt and dissolved out of visibility. The rumbling of the cave grew louder.

"Riley, get Hunter out of there!" Reiji shouted. He was (with _extreme_ difficulty) fighting off Aaron with a long metal rod he must carry around with him. The boy wielded the weapon too well to have picked it up off of the ground. Blood stained his white shirt, and Riley was unsure whether the blood was from a blow or from his coughing. Aaron, revitalized by the presence of his weaker opponent, attacked with the doubled energy of his adversary. Reiji was losing.

"Setsuna! Help me!" he cried. Aaron had pinned Reiji to the stone floor with his free arm, tacking Reiji's shoulders and legs to the rock with his knees and other arm. Grim, Aaron's Arcanine, stood over Reiji with his mouth smoldering. Setsuna stared at the scene with wide blue eyes. Her long, white hair came loose from its bun as she leapt in front of the fire spin. Some nerves in her back told her the fire was wet.

_That's odd. _Setsuna thought absently. _Fire isn't wet…or cold. _Once she diverted the first attack, she looked to her savior. Setsuna's little Totodile had used water pulse to fire into Grim's mouth, snuffing out any flame that dared to escape.

Reiji's warning to Riley was all but forgotten then. Setsuna locked arms with Aaron and Betelgeuse scrambled to retrieve the book he dropped earlier.

"With the blood of a human sacrifice present…" he turned to his page and began laughing maniacally. His Zara padded up beside him and seemed to be smirking as well.

"_Kyogre, pontus incola_!"

"RILEY! GET OUT OF THERE, GOD DAMMIT!" Melody shrieked. Her voice was shrill and panicked. It was happening all over again. Riley clawed at Hunter, who was being dragged under the surface by the powerful current.

"Yuki! GET THEM OUT, NOW!" Melody thrust her Empoleon's pokeball toward the whirlpool and was satisfied when her penguin dove headfirst into the fray. Yuki managed to blast Hunter from the deep with an aqua jet, but had a tougher time dragging Riley from the bottom.

"_Ex aqua oritur!_" As Betelgeuse commanded Kyogre rise from the depths of the ocean, Riley was losing air. His lungs felt as if they were about to burst, and the saltwater burned hot and hard in his eyes and nose. Yuki was forced to resurface after being thrown against the rock wall. "_ET ADORABUNT ME!_" Betelgeuse demanded Kyogre bow down to his will, and sure enough, the beast rose from the depths of hell to obey. Riley was pushed up by Kyogre's ascending body, and gasped in mouthfuls of air once he was out of the water. It was the sweetest sensation he had ever experienced.

Riley snapped to his senses and realized Kyogre was very much awake—and that he was resting between the beast's eyes. He slid down the pokemon's slippery face until he landed ungracefully on the edge of the pool. He thought he felt his wrist break when he fell on it.

"_I noli pugnare,_" Kyogre's ageless voice boomed. "_I modo servire volunt."_ At this point, all fighting had come to a halt. Everyone was captivated by the raw power and terrifying presence of Kyogre. The twenty or so people in the cavern were waiting to see what would happen next.

"What did Kyogre say?" Sari asked, sopping wet from her dunk in the pool. Aaron hissed in her ear, "Kyogre said, 'I don't want to fight—I only wish to serve you.' Why would it say something like that?"

_"S__i__ego__veni__ad te__,__et__ipsum__i__Groudon__pugnare__" _According to the wolfish boy, Kyogre ensured if he agreed to go with Betelgeuse, he could fight Groudon in the near future. Betelgeuse happily agreed.

"Everyone who isn't dressed in black supports Groudon, you know." Kyogre's eyes flashed red with anger and it lashed out with an enormous wave. The water hit like a truck and pummeled everyone who wasn't with Team Orion.

"_ITO!_" Kyogre roared. Mintaka's Metagross used his psychic abilities to banish the Camp members from the Seafloor Cavern and into the open water. Metagross dumped the group fifty meters below the surface.

Without one breath of oxygen.

XXX


	36. The Final Puzzle Piece

**Hey faithful readers! College has been hectic and I've had writer's block for awhile, so bear with me! Here's another installment of Camp Catchem'all, and please review!**

**Much love, Katie**

**XXX**

Kyogre had stranded the campers fifty meters below the surface of the ocean. Half of the party was incapacitated with injuries; the others weren't so sure how to swim. The one thing they all had in common, however, was their dire need for oxygen. The water Pokémon of the trainers sprung from their balls to assist their comrades, but the effect wasn't fast enough. They needed a push that would send them barreling from the briny deep.

After struggling toward the surface for a minute or two, a brilliant light illuminated the dark waters. A Manaphy had come to their rescue. The tiny sea guardian swam circles around the group, enveloping them in an enormous whirlpool. The mouth of the whirlpool opened to the night sky, allowing oxygen to rush into the starving lungs of the campers. Hiro and Riley summoned their Charizards, and directed Miracle's Dragonite to carry passengers. Hunter's Tropius carried the wounded, while James' Garchomp took others to safety as well. Melody offered her gratitude to the legendary Pokémon, who giggled shyly in response.

"Without you, a few of our wounded would have surely died. We are forever in your debt, Manaphy." Shane put his fist over his heart in a sign of respect, which made the Manaphy blush. In another flash of light, she was gone.

"Where in the hell are we?" Sid asked, staring into what looked like miles of darkness. Setsuna whipped out her laptop and began calculating coordinates.

"We're about fifteen miles from shore. It shouldn't be a difficult trip." Hunter nodded and led the group forward.

_Too many of my campers are nursing serious injuries…_ Hunter thought to herself. _I couldn't protect them all…_

A nasty knot of guilt twisted in the counselor's stomach. The camp would have to be shut down after this year. There were too many deaths, too many injuries.

"It's supposed to be a summer camp, for Arceus' sake!" She growled angrily. Her forest green hair whipped behind her in a tangled mess—giving her the appearance of a battle-worn warrior. Her makeup was smeared in places, and her marks shining like a beacon in the night. The effect was simultaneously frightening and stunning.

"Veer left, everyone! We need to make it to the hospital!" Melody shouted over the wind. A thick fog rolled into the bay, obscuring the light from the town below. The only thing discernible through the heavy mist was the twin flames of the Charizards' tails. The group landed in front of a dimly lit Hospital, where the double doors swung open automatically. Shane and James carried Miracle's limp body inside, followed by the rest of the wounded students. Hunter was applying pressure to her deep lacerations; Hiro cradled his shattered hand, and Riley his broken wrist. Berane's bloody stump of a left forearm was wrapped in his white shirt, still gushing blood. He would never have use of his left arm again.

Upon seeing the bedraggled people, a team of nurses rushed from their boring posts to assist the wounded. Berane and Miracle were tended to first, as their wounds demanded the most attention. Miracle's unconscious body was dumped onto a gurney, where she was quickly wheeled down a brightly lit hallway. The nurse shoved the gurney into a door that read "Urgent Care" and began to run an IV for the girl.

"Nurse! What's going on?" A doctor who had witnessed the hubbub yanked back the curtain surrounding Miracle's cubicle-like partition. The heart monitor she had recently been hooked up to told the man her heart was weak and beating feebly.

"This girl isn't stable! Look at her jaw, Doctor Polick. It's shattered. Not to mention the signs of internal bleeding of the cranium." The nurse pulled a tiny flashlight from the pocket of her scrubs and stretched back one of Miracle's eyelids. Her pupils were dilated to such a degree that the pink iris which used to reside there might not have existed at all. The stare in the girl's eyes was dead.

Another woman burst into the Urgent Care ward, white-blond hair disheveled.

"Where is my camper?" The woman identified herself as Melody Kirkland. "I am authorized to be by this child's side at all times if she is signed under my summer camp!" she roared to a particularly uncooperative security guard. The man eventually let her and Ricochet through. Melody tore back the plastic curtain and surveyed Miracle's broken body for the first time. Hard lines of distress creased Melody's snow white skin. Ricochet laid her head on Miracle's bedside and licked her hand.

"What happened, ma'am?" the nurse quietly inquired.

"We had a run-in with the terrorist group known as Team Orion." Melody's scathing blue eyes were narrowed into angry slits. "A man crushed her jaw with his bare hands, and proceeded to stomp on Miracle's temples." Melody reached to brush a stray strand of purple hair out of Miracle's bloodied mouth.

"Thank you. Any and all information about the injury is helpful. Is there anyone else who needs assistance?" Melody nodded and left the partition to fetch the others. The nurse began to run an IV for Miracle, in hopes of stabilizing her failing system. The doctor began a routine diagnosis check, documenting heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen content, and other important facts of the sort.

"Well, doctor?" the nurse asked expectantly. The doctor sighed and rubbed his balding head.

"We're going to need to take X-rays as soon as possible. Get those vitals stable." With another deep sigh he left the room.

XXX

Berane was ushered into an operating room, where he was laid on a cold metal table. An assistant threaded an IV into his wrist and a heart rate monitor onto the index finger of his remaining hand. Berane, realizing what was about to happen, burst into tears.

"Don't put me under, please! Stop!" Berane began to panic—he didn't want to die under the knife! He had heard terrible stories of people never waking up from anesthesia and didn't want to be added to the list.

"Mr. Dimonis! Don't make me put you down!" The nurse grabbed a syringe of sedative and removed the plastic sheath. Berane stopped his thrashing at once. A surgeon, clad in scrubs, a shower cap, oxygen mask, and sterile rubber gloves, came in with a team of nurses.

"Now, Mr. Dimonis. You must relax, or this process will be painful." The nurse prepared the dosage of anesthesia and brought a mask toward Berane's face. He began to hyperventilate as she attached the plastic mask to his face.

"Please, calm down! If you breathe slowly, you won't have any problems." The heart monitor next to his gurney began beeping rapidly, concurrent with the fluttering of his terrified heart. Berane looked to his right and saw Hiro being taken into a different operating room. His hand was the size of a swollen melon. His unseeing eye seemed to stare straight into Berane's multicolored gaze—urging him to relax and let modern medicine save his life. Berane inhaled deeply and his vision swam until he drifted into a dreamless sleep.

XXX

The surgeon took his scalpel and made a deep incision in Hiro Taminama's right hand. Crimson blood and clear vitreous fluid flooded from the cut, daring to expose the shattered bone within. Another slice was made and now the fragmented filaments were on the surface.

"Dear lord, doctor. This is going to take forever to fix! The bones have punctured veins and torn muscle…it's a tangled mess of tendons." An assistant wrinkled her nose at the sight of the mangled hand.

"His counselor told me he punched a man with a titanium plate in his jaw."

"Why would he do that?" Another nurse quipped. The following snickers were silenced when the surgeon growled in distaste.

"He obviously didn't mean to, you dolts! Pass the damned forceps before I put you all under," the surgeon demanded. A large pair of forceps was surrendered, and immediately used to remove a large sliver of bone from beneath a large vein. The doctor splinted the fingers and the main structures of his hand.

"This boy needs titanium casing," said the surgeon. He carefully placed the metal around the mangled appendage and continued working. A long two hours later, Hiro's hand was sewn back together with forty-five stitches.

"Wheel him back to Urgent Care."

"But doctor, this patient isn't in need of urgent care anymore," another intern commented.

"He'll want to be around his campers, won't he? Just take him there, please." The surgeon rubbed his eyes with a tired hand and gazed through the window to the other operating ward, where the doctors were cauterizing the poor kid's severed hand.

"Who or what is Team Orion?" he whispered in disbelief.

XXX

Around five in the morning, Hunter and Shane finally made their way back to the inn where the remainder of the camp resided. Tarkov, who had been in correspondence with the two counselors, jumped from his sleep and demanded answers.

"Did anyone die?" He rasped in a low voice. Hunter was glad to be able to shake her head to this. Tarkov blew a great sigh of relief and fell back on the bed.

"There are many wounded, General," Shane announced solemnly. "And Kyogre has fallen." Tarkov's scarred face hardened considerably.

"All that's left in the prophecy is Rayquasa, who will undoubtedly show up if Kyogre and Groudon are awake," Hunter interjected. None of the near futures were looking good for the Pokémon world. With a hardened sigh, Tarkov retrieved the map of the Johto region from the sidetable drawer and unfurled it on the bed. With a red marker he slashed through the Seafloor Cavern.

"This is going to turn into a complete shitstorm, isn't it?" Hunter asked quietly.

"Well when it does, we'll be ready. No shit's gonna hit us," Tarkov vowed. He calculated the fastest route to the Sky Tower and highlighted its path.

"We should leave no later than Wednesday," Shane suggested. A consensus was reached and the counselors adjourned the brief meeting, making their way back to the hospital to visit the wounded.

XXX

Kame Takeshi, new hairstyle and all, timidly drew back the curtain surrounding Hiro's bed. A large white cast encircled his left hand, and he snored in his sleep. Kame realized that she had never seen him sleep peacefully before—the only other time she had seen him unconscious was back in Mt. Moon, when they had been trapped by a rockslide.

That seemed like centuries ago.

The boy lying in the bed certainly wasn't the goofy, perverted charmer she remembered. In sleep, albeit undisturbed sleep, the boy's face looked harder, razed into something sharp and aged. His jaw was more chiseled now, the angular contours of his cheeks more prominent. A transformation from boy to man—from fighter to full-fledged warrior. It was slightly frightening.

Kame tried to stay quiet as she dragged a rolling stool out from under the bed. She grasped his cold right hand, his good hand, and stared at him silently.

"What do you think of me, Hiro?" she asked the unconscious boy. "Do I bother you? Am I a nuisance? Are you nice to me only because I'm blind, and you take pity on me?" Such questions have been burning in Kame for days, but she could never summon the courage to actually ask them.

Jolteon, who had curled up at the foot of the gurney, stirred. His eyes were like wet plums, deep and dark and shining with something Kame couldn't place. Jolteon scooted toward her and licked her outstretched hand with his scratchy tongue.

"What about you, Jolt? You know Hiro better than anyone." Jolteon appeared to shrug, as if reluctant to comment. Kame flushed at her own stupidity and suddenly felt embarrassed.

"I've been worrying about what Hiro thought of me all this time, and not once have I worried about the fate of our world!" Shameful, traitorous tears fell from her blue eyes and she wiped them away with a haggard hand. Kame grasped Hiro's uninjured hand and brought it to her lips. After kissing it briefly, she stood and drew the curtain to leave.

"You've made me feel good about myself, Hiro. Get better soon." And with that solemn note, she exited the ward and made her way back to the Inn, where the girls would be watching the news in their rooms. Kame unlaced her green converse and left them outside, replacing them with the sterile slippers provided by the Inn. She released her Vulpix, who scampered away to investigate the winding halls of the building. When Kame turned the knob to her bedroom, the girls were there to interrogate her.

"How did it go?"

"Did Hiro like your hair?"

Kame held up a finger to stop them. "Ladies, please! Hiro was asleep when I got there. He didn't even see me." A collective "aww" of dejection flitted from the girls, and Kame ignored the feeling it gave her. She took out striped pajama pants from her trunk and tugged them on, catching her left foot in the hole by her ankle, as she always did. The girls turned back to the television, except for Talia. She fixed her orange eyes on Kame and sat at the edge of her bed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked quietly, voice barely above a whisper. Kame stared at an interesting spot on the comforter and shrugged meekly. Talia considered this consent and moved closer.

"Times are hard now, okay? Things aren't safe and happy like in the beginning. Now it seems we hardly do camp anymore and we're too busy saving the world. Don't feel bad or ignored, feel special, because that's what you are!" Talia placed a manicured hand on her leg and patted it comfortingly. Kame fought back tears and hugged Talia.

"Thank you," she whispered into her blonde hair.

"You're welcome."

XXX

"Excellent work, everyone. We now have Kyogre and Groudon in our grasp. All that's left is the final piece—Rayquasa," Betelgeuse said, running his fingers through Xara's multicolored fur. The Zangoose was curled on a rock in the cave they were hiding in. Along the cave floor were the scattered members of Team Orion, who currently occupied themselves with cataloging injuries.

Betelgeuse pulled the two master balls from his pocket and twirled them about in his palms. They were slightly warm—and vibrated faintly.

"I don't think you all realize what will happen once we release the Hunter's beast," Betelgeuse began, fixing his golden gaze on his comrades. His foreboding tone got everyone to stop what they were doing and pay attention.

"This beast will tear a hole in the very Earth. It will consume everything, crazy in the attempt to quench its insatiable thirst for blood. And with the power of the legendaries we have procured," the master pulled three more pokeballs from his pocket. "The beast will bend to our will." Betelgeuse's lips split into a sickening smile that sent a chill down Sari's spine.

"What will happen to the land? Will there be genocide, of Pokémon _and_ humans alike?" Saiph had a tendency to ponder such things, and Betelgeuse inclined his head for a brief moment.

"Under our command, the Beast will obey us. Whatever destruction it shall bring shall be kept within the boundaries of my own terms. Anyone else care to question my methods?" The room was silent. "Good, I thought so. Now, Alnitak and Alnilam, start a fire and get food cooking. I want to have something worth eating for once." Betelgeuse rose, ran a hand through his dark hair, and slunk deeper into the cave, Xara in tow.

The rest of Team Orion scrambled to meet their superior's orders. Alnilam released a Flygon and stole toward town, intent on finding a market and getting some food. Alnitak took Rigel with him to chop firewood, as assisted by Alnitak's Scyther. Sari and Aaron were curled in Grim's russet fur for a nap, and Mintaka sat alone with an overflowing manila folder. She had a small lantern lit beside her for light, and poured over the pictures and profiles of the Camp Catchem'all campers and counselors. Her steely gaze lingered on Hunter Larsen's candid photograph—drank in her green hair and eyes, her olive skin, and the fierce determination that kept the woman going. Mintaka felt a burning hatred for Hunter—an ache that gnawed at the deep dredges of her dark soul.

She wanted Hunter dead. She wanted that counselor's blood to be spilt in sacrifice for Bellatrix. Mintaka missed her dearly, and would not rest until her death was avenged.

She finally cast aside Hunter's file and instead focused on Kame Takeshi and Hiro Taminama's papers. She couldn't believe that two young trainers could have the strength to take Team Orion down. It simply wasn't possible in Mintaka's mind. She was snapped from her concentration when Saiph threw a sleeping bag at her.

"Move, Mintaka. That's where the bedrolls are going." Saiph dragged a few more over and unfurled them, lying them in a neat row along the cave wall. Mintaka rolled her eyes and exhaled sharply, snapping the folder and its secrets away.

"You're becoming obsessed, you know," Saiph hissed. "You can't stop looking at that counselor's file. Get over it, Min. You'll get her soon enough."

"You don't understand, inferior. I can't 'get over it' until Hunter is nothing more than a body in the ground!" Mintaka's blood pressure spiked and she stormed out of the cave, stopping to grab Rigel's baseball bat on the way out.

"Hey, what're you doing with my bat?" Rigel dumped the pile of wood he was carrying and started to trail his cohort.

"It's just time for some batting practice. Relax, Rigel, I won't break your pretty toy," she assured him. Mintaka merely wanted to beat something, anything, so her anger could be let free—if only for a moment. She took to the nearest oak tree with vigor, and did not intend to stop anytime soon.

"I'd hate to be that tree right now," Saiph muttered.

XXX

AC and Magden stepped from the spirit world and back to the real one, still clasping hands on the floor of the temple where they sat. Their last encounter with the legendaries forbade danger and hardship—and a journey that could very well end in death. AC's electric eyes met the fiery gaze of his affections, and he willed his heart to slow.

"They need us, AC. We can't let them move forward until they know what we do," Magden said, standing to stroke the statue of Ho-Oh lovingly. At her touch the relic glowed—as did her marks—a sign of favor. AC stood beside her and placed his hand on the small of her back.

"We leave at dawn, for the Sky Tower. If we call the legendaries, they should guide us there swiftly. We cannot be late." AC buried his lips in her sweet-smelling curls, breathing in their dark and spicy scent. Madgen responded by running a caramel-colored hand in his blond hair slowly. The exchange was fierce and loving, a low fire whose coals burned hot.

"Let's go to bed, huh Mags? We got a long day ahead of us." AC doused the lights in the meditation room and grabbed his bag, following Magden out and into the hall. They passed ornate tapestries depicting tai chi, and some of the history of the legendaries. The dark passage was dimly lit by their marks, a muddle of blue and red, burning brightly on their skin. The trip to their rooms was not a long one, and soon enough, they were in pajamas and settled for the night. They slipped into a fitful sleep.

XXX

Berane woke up with an awful headache. It felt as if his heart were between his ears instead, battering wildly against his skulls. He opened his multicolored eyes and was rudely greeted by fluorescent lighting. The sharp smell of disinfectant told him he was still in the hospital.

He tried lifting his throbbing head but found it felt as if it weighed a ton. He did manage, however, to get a view of his left arm, which was amputated right at the elbow. The sight of the red bandages nearly made him black out again. Some say that a person can be unaware of an injury and its pain until they visually notice it—a phenomenon Berane swore he could never relate to. But seeing his arm—or, to be precise, the _lack_ of his arm—brought on wave after wave of white-hot pain. He was instantly aware of every nerve in that bleeding appendage, and how much each one felt it had been dipped in acid then set on fire.

"Berane! You're awake!" A familiar voice snapped him out of his agony. He dared to turn his head and found Talia sitting there, her orange eyes brimming with tears. Relief washed over him for a brief moment.

"Talia," Berane croaked, realizing fully how weak he sounded. "My arm…my arm is—"

"It's gone, I know. But it's okay. It had to happen. I think you look more rugged without it." The tears that clouded her vision spilled out now, running down her tanned cheeks in shiny rivers. She daintily dabbed her cheek with a tissue and reached for Berane's hair, which she swept from his eyes.

Berane laughed mirthlessly. "Talia, my dear, you've never been that great of a liar." A frustrated tear threatened to fall, and he wiped it away before she could see. Talia sniffed loudly and clutched the ribbons of her Chingling.

"We're leaving Wednesday for the Sky Tower. This is it, Berane. If they catch Rayquasa, they can release the beast. My vision is going to come true!" Talia gripped harder, eliciting a small squeak from the Pokémon. She quickly released the ribbon and Chingling clattered away. Berane tried to appear calm as he spoke to her.

"We're going to get through this. Even if they catch Rayquasa, we have a power within us that might overthrow them all. They cannot love, and they cannot experience the true power of what it is to be a friend. Perhaps this can defeat them," said Berane. Talia reached inside her fashionable leather purse and pulled out a familiar sight—his gloves. The wolf's head, his left glove, could never be worn again. The dragon, however, slipped onto his hand effortlessly.

"I made some alterations to your wolf glove," Talia whispered shyly. She unfolded the cloth and revealed the improved version—she had sewn the glove into an armband that would slip up his bicep. The weight of the gesture was so touching that the tears Berane tried to hold back flowed freely now.

Through his snotting and gratitude, he managed a thank-you.

"You're welcome, darling. I knew how lost you'd be without them." She slipped the band carefully over his bandage and it rested in its rightful place.

"No, Talia. The gloves mean nothing; I wouldn't be lost without them. I'd be lost without _you._" Talia blushed slightly and bent down to kiss his cheek. Her lips were thin but smooth, and smelled slightly of generic cherry chapstick. It was a good feeling.

XXX

Hiro was released from the ward hours after his surgery. At the discharge station, he received a sterile plastic bag that contained the clothes he came in, his pokeballs, and his pack. They smelled like antiseptic and the smell burnt his nostrils. Jolteon hopped down from the counter and brushed against his master's leg, sending a slight shock all the way to his temples.

"Jeesh, Jolt. You'da swore I was dying in there or something!" He grinned crookedly and scooped up the electric type with his good hand. Tarkov was waiting at the door, dressed in his usual fatigues.

"Well boy, it seems as if you're not as much of a pansy ass as I originally thought," the General growled. He clapped Hiro hard on the back, which sent the wiry boy stumbling, and boomed another laugh. Hiro followed his counselor outside of the white-walled hospital and into the foggy night.

"The Ryokan is just down the street. We're lucky to be so close to an emergency room, given the current circumstances," muttered Tarkov. Although the streets were fairly empty, Tarkov still talked in a hushed voice, as if whispering secrets in the muggy dark. "Also, we're bringing Kaiya back in tomorrow. Her marks are tainted and Hunter's going to try and suck out the bad juju, if you get what I mean." Hiro's eyes widened slightly at this, he was unaware that blessings from a legendary could turn awry.

The two men approached the old-style inn and removed their shoes before entering. The hostess behind the counter inclined her head at them as they passed, too immersed in a phone call to formally greet them. Tarkov lead the boy down a short hallway and made a sharp left turn toward the dining hall.

"For such a small place, the food's great. Tonight's menu's got a full sushi bar. Avoid the unagi, though. Gave Vick dysentery."

"You're awfully talkative tonight, Sir," Hiro pointed out. Which was entirely true. Unless Tarkov was admonishing the campers for some wrongdoing, or barking out instructions, the man was never conversational. Tarkov paused before pulling back the wooden door and hissed:

"I'm just jittery is all, you maggot. Take it or leave it, I'm telling ya to avoid the Unagi unless you want a flamethrower burning out your ass." Hiro stifled a laugh and followed the old veteran inside. At the sight of Hiro, many of the campers called out or cheered. One girl, he noticed, did not react much at all. Kame sat at a two-person table with Venice, whose face was washed with concern. Once her emerald eyes fell across Hiro, they narrowed into slits.

_Arceus, what's her problem? _He wondered. Instead of dealing with her wrath, he instead chose to sit across from Sid and Johnny, who were launching roe off their spoons at unsuspecting passerby.

"Ey, blindy! Watch this!" Sid slammed his fist on the concave part of his spoon, sending the cluster of orange eggs straight into Emily's brown hair. She didn't feel the sticky roe hit her, so she remained oblivious as she made her way through the food line.

"Sid, you dolt! She didn' feel it! Yer doin' it all wrong, you are! Yeh gotta make an impression!" Johnny buried his fist in the bowl of roe and pulled out a handful of the goop.

"Ey, love! Em! Emily! Em, turn around, will ye?" Joe, who was watching the whole exchange, quickly cried out.

"No, Emily! Don't do it! Johnny's gonna throw eggs at you!" Sid shot Joe a spine-chilling glare, a look so threatening that Joe clapped a hand over his lips. Emily, breaking her concentration from her food, turned around.

"Why would Johnny hit me with eg—" One might have thought somebody had painted a bullseye over Emily's mouth. She was struck square in the lips by a congealment of roe, which stained her white shirt with its oily orange juice. Emily dropped her entire plate of food, which made even more of a mess. The girl stood frozen in her spot. No one laughed—no one moved—all were waiting to gauge her reaction.

With shaking hands she wiped the slop from her mouth and flung it toward the carpet. Her cheeks flooded crimson, not from embarrassment—but from anger. She walked stiffly over to Johnny, wheeled back, and punched him in the nose. Emily didn't hit the Brit hard enough to draw blood, but definitely enough to send him sprawling from his seat. The hall erupted in catcalls and cheering.

"I was only havin' a little fun, dearie!" Johnny rubbed his nose and tried to crack a feeble smile. Emily grabbed the bowl of roe and held it over him.

"Look, now you match!" She threw the orange contents of the bowl onto his orange hair and laughed mockingly before getting back in line to make another plate.

"That girl is a feisty one, isn't she?" Sid laughed through a mouthful of food. Hiro rolled his eyes and sipped at the black coffee the waitress brought for him. Across the room, at Kame and Venice's table, the girls were in a nervous stupor.

"I can't believe he hasn't even noticed your beautiful new hair! The nerve of that pervert!" Venice growled, shoveling another spoonful of rice into her mouth. Kame squirmed in her seat, trying to swallow the knot that twisted in her throat. _What is wrong with him? He hasn't even looked my way…_

"What did I do?" Kame asked. Venice swallowed her rice with a grimace and assured her, as all good girlfriends do, that she did nothing wrong. Her Altaria laid its feathery head on her lap and cooed softly.

"He's got a lot on his plate right now," Kame justified.

"Just as much as you've got on yours, love. The only thing he's got on you is a bum hand. But unless you've forgotten, you're half-blind and involved in the prophecy as well. There's no excuse." Venice scraped her spoon against the ceramic plate, trying to gather the last bits of her meal in one bite. Kame contemplated her words for a moment and pet Altaria's head absently. The locket around her neck, the heart-shaped piece that Hiro had given her—felt as heavy as stone. She remembered when he first gave it to her.

_"__Happy Birthday, Kame Takeshi." Hiro leaned down and brushed his lips over her burning cheek. He slipped a small white box into her hand when he pulled away. With shaking fingers she lifted the lid and almost fainted. Inside was a silver chain, and dangling from the bottom was a locket. It was shaped like a heart, but on the outside was an inscription._

_"__Acœur vaillant rien d'impossible."__The French syllables were foreign to Kame's lips, but she sounded them out without much difficulty. "What does it mean?"_

_"To a valiant heart nothing is impossible."_

The gesture was beautiful then, and the words helped her get through the tough days they had already seen. Her heart was valiant! Her heart could get through this, too. But one dark thought kept entering her troubled mind:

_Is Venice right?_

XXX

Reiji wasn't feeling well at all. His condition was getting so bad that he coughed blood up regularly. He would die soon unless something was done. Reiji was a proud trainer, and didn't want to ask for help from anyone but his Pokémon. So, he hid the worst of his illness away from Setsuna. Reiji knew in his heart that Setsuna was aware of his condition, and he also knew that she respected him enough not to bring it up. So Reiji suffered in silence.

The boy rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt just for something to do. Across from him was Setsuna, who was typing away on her laptop, and also seated at the table were James and Riley. They were occupied with a canteen Riley had swiped from the kitchens.

"What's in the bottle, guys?" Reiji asked quietly, leaning over to try and sneak a look. A wicked grin splayed across Riley's lips.

"It's sake. There's loads of it in the pantry! You want some?" Riley held the canteen out to him, and Reiji took it in his hand. A glance out of the corner of his eye told him Setsuna was watching, blue eyes calculating every move.

"I don't want to take from your meager supply, Riley," Reiji said. And he meant it, too. It probably took a lot of effort to take such a small amount and go unnoticed. But Riley snorted and pushed the bottle back into Reiji's hands.

"Don't be stupid, Rej. Look at this," Riley whispered. He unzipped his backpack, which sat at his feet beneath the table, and revealed the many bottles of sake inside. They clanked together with a tinkling sound as the bag shifted. James nervously looked around to see if anyone else had heard it.

"C'mon, Rej. Lighten up a bit! Arceus knows how long we'll be living anymore." Riley's voice sounded wrong with the sad tone attached to it. The brown-haired boy simply wasn't meant to be sad. To humor the guy, Reiji took a long swig from the canteen, shuddering slightly as the sake burned his throat. It wasn't chilled—which was fine by Reiji—but it wasn't hot either. It was a little strange but Reiji would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it.

The sick boy passed the bottle onto James, who killed its contents in a single gulp. He shook his head—which made his long brown hair shake wildly—and blinked the tears from his icy eyes.

"That was rough," he rasped, sending Riley and Reiji into a fit of laughter.

"Who knew that you'd be sort of fun once you loosened up, Curtis?" Riley refilled the canteen below the table and sipped again. James shoved him playfully and reached for the bottle once more.

Within a few hours, the three boys were terribly drunk. Riley's hair stuck up on one side, and Reiji was staring at nothing for extended periods of time. James sat with his head down on the table.

Tarkov came over and slammed his hand on the table.

"Are you idiots kidding me? You've been sitting here for three hours! The hall's closed!" Vick came up behind the General and began clearing the boys' plates from dinner.

"Whaddaaya talkin' bout, Tarkie? Evverybody's here!" Riley gestured to the empty hall and burped.

"Why is your speech slurred, private? What's gotten into you?" Tarkov's voice was rising in volume, and the sound only made Riley's headache flare.

"I'm not slurring, Tarkie! I'm just talking in cursive is all. Heh." Tarkov grabbed Riley by the collar of his red flannel and yanked him off of the bench.

"You better GET YOUR ASS TO BED RIGHT NOW, BEFORE I MAKE YOU PAY FOR EVERY LAST DROP OF ALCOHOL YOU SWIPED, HANSEN!" Riley was thrown to the floor unceremoniously. He stumbled, dragging his clinking backpack with him, and exited the dining hall. James was handled similarly. Reiji was asked if he could quietly follow. Through the fog of his drunk, he didn't realize he was being treated differently. He hacked a bloody cough and followed obediently. It didn't dawn on him that the counselors knew about his disease until his head hit the pillow and he finally blacked out.

XXX


	37. When It Rains, It Pours

****WARNING, THIS IS A TEST CHAPTER, INFORMATION WILL PROCEED AS FOLLOWS:** **

**Hey guys, thanks for reviewing. You make it all better. So, in the spirit of spring love, I'm making this a tiny little filler that looks deep into the relationships of all the C.C. characters. I MIGHT even go into 1****st**** person POV, just for this chapter. It'll be bothersome to constantly have to label POV when I change, but I'm going to try anyway. I want to give these characters true voice and feel, more so than my usual 3****rd**** person style. So here it goes, everyone. Warning you now, 1****st**** person is NOT my thing, sooooo yes. Deal with it. Haha. Heh. Muahah. **

**Thanks to **_**A Half-Empty Glass, WolfSummoner93, sjshark23, Legendary Fairy, Miss Kiko, Ein Storm, HollyWrites, and Mangafreak7793**_** for reviewing. You guys help me out so much, and thanks for being loyal 333**

**Okay so this was just a tiny teaser/tester chapter. Im willing to make it into two parts, but if you guys don't like the first person, I'll probly just do the second part of the chapter and then switch back to third… Soo lemme know what you think! **

**Much love, Katie. **

**XXX (Hiro) **

I decided not to partake in the sake shenanagins the night before. As much as I'm always game for drinking, I knew they'd go overboard and get in trouble. I remained at the table beside Sid and Johnny, who spent the rest of dinner pulling roe from his hair.

I felt kinda shitty, first of all, because Kame hadn't said anything to me since…well…before I went with the others to the Seafloor Cavern. It was very unsettling. I'm not too sure what I've done now, but it's obvious she doesn't want to talk to me.

I wanted more than anything to touch her new hair style; it looked soft and probably smelled sweet, as she always did. But her gaze was locked on her food, and Venice's eyes were locked on me. My questioning look did nothing to deter her glaring, so I mentally flipped her off and reminded myself never to give her love advice again. Besides, she had food in her teeth and I didn't want to spoil any possible future embarrassment.

"All right, everyone! Listen up—_listen, Sid, _or it'll be a world of hell for you—tomorrow morning we've got a surprise for you all. So get some well-needed rest and meet back here in the morning. Understood?" After Melody got enough head-nodding and "yes'ms" to her liking, she dismissed us to our rooms. Jolteon trotted behind me, ever loyal, small claws clicking evenly on the wooden floors. I entered the room I was sharing with James, Riley, and Joe and pulled my backpack out from the tiny closet I had claimed. There were plush futons stacked in the large closet—so I grabbed one and some sheets with a blue pattern all over it. My movements were awkward at best, it didn't really help that my hand felt like it had been crushed by a Snorlax.

It was strange, having a plate in my hand. I could feel it if I flexed my fingers—the thick titanium felt so foreign beneath my skin. There was a crescent-shaped scar over my thumb a couple of inches long. Jolt noticed me studying it and gave it a lick, shocking me slightly as he always did. I playfully pushed him away and he landed with an "oomph" in the blankets. We stared at each other for a moment, and then his barking chuckle broke me into laughter.

Joe poked his head into the room and threw a towel at me.

"Come to the hot spring! Everyone's going, and I think they're going to start a round of truth or dare!" Joe gushed excitedly. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, but complied and grabbed a pair of swim trunks. I just wasn't feeling the speedo tonight. Usually, I enjoy making people uncomfortable with my personal display of man-junk, but I guess Kame's coldness toward me has taken it right outta me.

This fact is doubly disturbing, as nothing really ever gets to me.

The younger trainer waited for me in the hall, stamping his foot impatiently. Over one arm was his green beach towel, and on the other was his trademark orange sweatshirt. I came out shirtless with my white towel.

"Do you know where the spring's at?" I asked, folding my arms. Joe gave me a withering look and walked down the hall in reply.

"Y'know, I know you think I'm Fortuna's dorky kid cousin, but I'm smarter than I look," he assured me. I chuckled quietly and he turned on me. "Well I am! Fortuna even said so, and I _know_ you take her word into account. Maybe a little _too _into account, if you know what I mean." A knowing smirk splayed across the kid's lips and I could've easily smacked him. We were right by the girls' rooms, and the last thing I needed was another insecure breakdown in case they heard anything. So I bent over and made sure he was staring in my blind eye. This always unnerves small children.

"Listen, punk. I know you're a smart little shit, and right now you know _exactly_ where we're standing. Why you chose to say that in an unnecessarily loud voice is beyond me, but just know I'm onto you," I hissed angrily. Joe was fixated on my blue eye and he nodded slowly. "Don't piss me off. I'm supposed to be the nice guy, remember? This nasty streak in me isn't supposed to come out often. Ever, actually. I make it a point to be laid back. Don't make me nasty, Joe." My warning clearly reached him, as he nodded once more and pivoted to lead me to the springs. We didn't speak the entire way.

The hallway changed from wood to tile and I knew we were entering the communal locker rooms. The smell of the spring was warm, clean, and the air was heavy with steam. Setsuna was standing at one of the open lockers, stowing her laptop away and pulling a white rash guard over her one-piece. Even with her new-found emotions, she doesn't want anyone to see the nodes protruding from her back.

And I don't really blame her. I can see them through the white shirt, irregular, angled, and undoubtedly painful. As if she heard me thinking about her, she turned with her icy eyes and met mine.

"Is Reiji still in the mess hall?" she asked, half-hoping he'd be with me and not with Riley and James. I shook my head apologetically and watched her face fall.

"Oh. Thanks anyway, Hiro," she mumbled, closing her locker softly. I shuffled past her and out into the hot spring. The place was paved with smooth white stones, lining the spring and walls alike. There were rows of long wooden benches against the eastern fence, and a wooden patio cover that rested above the pool. A majority of the campers were already in the water. Kame was on the opposite side of the shallow spring, absently playing with the water in front of her. She was wearing that blue bikini that complements her good eye.

She looked up briefly to see who had entered the room—and when her eyes caught mine she quickly looked away. Instantly I was angry and confused, still unsure of why I was being basically shunned. Venice saw Kame look down and furtively snapped her gaze to mine and glared again. It took all of my self control not to scream at her and make a scene.

"What's this? Hiro's _not_ wearing a speedo?" Berane said, incredulous. I rolled my eyes and slipped into the spring. The water's temperature was perfect, and I couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped me. Kame snuck a look at me and our eyes met for a moment. I gave her a small smile and she looked away again. My stomach twisted sharply.

"I couldn't shock you all again after the week's events," I joked. Trying to make light of a terrible situation has always been a penchant of mine. The tension diffused and casual conversation resumed again.

"I wonder what tomorrow's surprise will be!" Talia said. Excited discussion about what the counselors had in store for them began, and I took to staring at Kame. I already knew that the counselors were planning on bringing Kaiya back, but I decided not to spoil the fun.

"If it's Tarkov in a speedo, I'm quitting tomorrow!" Joe laughed. This caused another round of giggles. Then, after a while, it was Setsuna who suggested Truth or Dare. Sid gave a low whistle and laughed.

"Bloody hell! Didn't think ye had it in ye, Setsuna! I'll go firs', then!" Sid looked around the circle of campers, mentally choosing his victim. "All righ', Talia! Truth or dare, love?" Talia swept her hand through a patch of bubbles and thought for a moment.

"Dare." The resounding "oohhh" from the crowd make the platinum blonde blush slightly. No one really expected her to pick dare, myself included.

"Brilliant! Let's see now…snog Berane in the middle of the pool, eh? For, let's say, thirty seconds?" Catcalls and whistling only intensified Talia's embarrassment as she waded from her spot on the perimeter into the center of the pool. The Martino girl was only comforted by the fact that Berane was blushing just as much as she was.

They met in the middle of the hot spring and Talia tilted her head back slightly. Berane placed his right hand, his only hand, on her neck beneath her long hair. He was careful to keep his casted stump above the water. Their lips met gingerly at first, and then grew hungry for more. The couple was oblivious to the catcalls and whistling we were doing.

"Oi! Let some of us have a go, eh? Yer hoggin' the limelight!" Johnny snorted. He grinned when the blushing couple finally parted, revealing his grimy, degenerated teeth. All of the girls seemed to shudder at the thought of hooking up with Johnny.

I don't blame them. If I were a girl, I'd be grossed out too. Who'd want bits of whatever Johnny ate mixed in during the spit swap?

Sick.

XXX (Kame)

Hiro didn't even say anything about my hair. Or my makeover. He's barely looked at me the entire night! So, here I am, forced to watch Joe lick Sid's armpit. It was disgusting, considering his complete lack of hygiene. I swear his hair sticks up on its own, probably cemented with sweat or something equally nasty.

"Kame, truth or dare?" Joe asked me. I was caught off guard, first of all, as I was torn between vomiting at Sid's armpit or glaring at Hiro. Second, I stumbled over my words.

"Uh, truth?" I finally managed, cheeks burning. I was glad we were in hot water, because as I looked around everyone's face was kind of flushed. I relaxed a little and waited for the awkward question I expected from the fourteen year old.

"How far have you gone with Hiro?" Everyone screamed at the audacity and I felt my face burn hotter. Hiro's mask of composure hid whatever he thought of the question.

"Just kissing is all," I replied coldly. This cut off the laughter and I realized I made an awkward cloud of awkward over everything. Oops.

"Well, it's your turn now, darling," Venice nudged me with an elbow and I felt my mouth asking Setsuna truth or dare. She replied dare, and I told her to go an entire day without her laptop. The group gasped collectively and Setsuna warily accepted, her face paling. The game continued and I zoned out again. I just had no desire to be in the spring anymore. So, without really saying anything to anyone, I clumsily climbed out of the pool and reached for my robe. I hurried into the locker room afterward.

Stopping at my locker, I fumbled with the latch and flung it open, nearly hitting Hiro in the face. I didn't even hear him come in. I reached in the cubby to grab my bag and Hiro's bad hand caught my wrist. I looked up with what I thought were hurt eyes. All I could register on his face was the mask. I pretty much realize I've probably either confused him or hurt his feelings.

"Kame, what's wrong?" His voice was soft and smooth, and I fought the ridiculous urge to cry.

"I…I…" The words wouldn't form. How childish is it to feel unliked? To have to admit that I feel that way?

"Kame, you can tell me anything...I want to know what's bothering you," he assured me. Hiro took my shaking hands in his. I bet it was painful.

"I feel like you don't like me anymore, Hiro," I whispered. His blue eye narrowed at me and his mouth opened a little.

"Kame, what little time I have to spend with you you spend worrying that I don't care for you. It seems like you don't even trust me," he sighed. He let my hands drop and they sank to my sides like stones.

"It's not that I don't trust you," I began, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I just worry about your flirtatiousness. I worry that when I'm not around, that's all you're doing." Instead of the mask that usually hid his emotions, he let the discontent creep across his features.

"That stings, you know. I've explained that being flirtatious is in my nature. But now I'm not so sure I can convince you of my feelings. Maybe I should just give you space to figure out your own." The words were daggers in my heart. After gently touching my hair, he turned, scooped up Jolteon, and walked out towards his room. I could only stand there, numb. A single sob strangled itself in my chest and came out as a squeak. Altaria let himself out of his pokeball and wiped my tears with his cotton-like wings.

"You heard the entire thing, didn't you Altaria?" The blue Pokémon dipped his head once. I let myself cry freely, as I was still alone and couldn't hold it in a moment longer. So I did the most logical thing and ran to my room, where I peeled off my wet swimsuit, struggled into my jammies, and buried myself in a fortress of pillows and blankets and cried my eyes out.

XXX(Setsuna)

Ever since my emotions have come back, my world has been full of burning sensation. Hot, violent feeling that sometimes overwhelms me. Now is one of those times. I quietly excused myself from the ridiculous game of truth or dare and was half-tempted to seek solace with my laptop. But, according to my quick calculations, if any of the campers were to see me with my laptop I would be subjected to endless ridicule. So I settled with a book. I felt hopeless and abandoned for some strange reason. I could feel what felt like depression creep from the pit of my stomach into the hollows of my heart.

When I asked Venice about it later, she assured me it was merely a mood swing, and that they were completely normal. Since I was unable to research them on my computer, I had to suffer and believe her words as truth, a practice I never involve myself with. So, to quell my obsessive tendency to overanalyze, I got up to search for Reiji. No doubt he had gotten himself inebriated with James and Riley. I only hoped that they had the mental capacity to hide their intoxication from the counselors. But I knew better, and fully expected them to be in trouble once morning came.

I walked to the dining hall and could hear Tarkov roaring from the hallway. My brain knew his screaming was supposed to be scary, so I used to be able to at least sympathize with the campers who were the target of our counselor's "lectures". But now, with my new ability to feel, I could not stop the fear that came when I heard him shriek. If I thought I was sympathetic before, I was surely feeling bad now.

_"You better GET YOUR ASS TO BED RIGHT NOW, BEFORE I MAKE YOU PAY FOR EVERY LAST DROP OF ALCOHOL YOU SWIPED, HANSEN!" _I had no trouble hearing Tarkov through the wooden walls. He must have thrown Riley onto the floor, because following his attack was a loud thud that could have only been a body. I could barely make out Reiji's polite request to walk behind them. I heard the door slide open and I jumped behind a pillar. I don't know why I didn't want to be seen, but something in my gut told me to stay out of sight. So I obliged. I watched Reiji stumble and cough all the way to his room.

Tarkov exited the boys' dormitory and strode right past me. I made the mistake of sighing with relief until he turned on his boot.

"Excuse me, Setsuna, but I can't help but assume you just witnessed that entire exchange?" Tarkov's voice was surprisingly soft, which, instead of calming me, sent my brain into a state of panic. This could only be bad. I could tell he was composing a lecture of my own in his mind as I fumbled for something to say.

"I'm sorry, sir, I did. I just wanted to make sure Reiji was okay," I said shakily. Tarkov's twisted grimace relaxed and an expression of pity replaced it. Okay, now I was seriously confused.

"So you also know about his condition?" he whispered. I nodded. Tarkov swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Yes. We were recently informed of Reiji's illness. You realize he will succumb to it soon, don't you?"

"I do. His coughing is getting worse. The blood will fill his lungs and he will drown." My voice broke on the last word and hot tears pooled in my eyes. The most embarrassing thing about emotions, especially ones you're unsure of, is that they're readable by everyone with suitable eyesight. So I wiped them away futilely and didn't meet my counselor's gaze.

"Go on, then. I didn't see anything," Tarkov sighed. He put a callused hand on my shoulder, possibly a gesture of comfort, and walked toward the counselors' rooms. I tiptoed to where the old general had just exited. The door slid open soundlessly and I let myself inside. Riley was sleeping closest to the door, and I was half-worried his snoring would wake the entire room. Beside him was Joe, whose orange hoodie was tangled hopelessly in his limbs. His Rattata was nestled in the crook of Joe's elbow. I was sure to step carefully over Hiro, who was mumbling, and finally found Reiji. His breathing was haggard and heavy. I crouched to sit next to him on the floor and I placed my hand on his back. His heart skipped beneath my touch.

"Why won't you let anyone help you, Reiji?" I asked quietly. Fearful tears welled in my eyes and I couldn't muster the strength to wipe them away. "You're always the first to volunteer to help others, but you'll never take help from anyone else. Don't you understand that we need you? And that you might need us, too?" Reiji let loose a cough that shook his ribs and shifted uncomfortably.

"I've wanted to say this for a long, long time, but I've never had the courage. And now, with my emotions, I can truly understand these thoughts that have been clouding my mind. Even though I'm almost positive you're asleep, I have to get this off of my chest before I lose the chance," I paused, listening closely for signs of consciousness. "I love you, Reiji. So please, don't leave me. Let me help you." A tear fell onto his cheek and Reiji stirred, rolling over to see who I was. I was sure he was drunk still. When he removed his face from the pillow, I noticed a puddle of blood that had pooled there. He was bleeding even in his sleep.

"Setsunaa, what are you doing here?" Reiji whispered incoherently. He wiped his bloody mouth with the sleeve of his white shirt, leaving a rust-colored stain on his wrist.

"I was here to make sure you're okay. Did you by chance hear anything that I said?" Reiji shook his head a little too quickly for his state, making blood ooze from his nose.

"Look at you, Reiji. You're dying." I said it with such finality that Reiji actually flinched.

"How do you know that?" he asked.

"How do you think? Look at yourself! You bleed constantly, you mix your own blood in your medicines, and you cough so hard you're nearly close to tearing lung tissue! Reiji, you need to let us help you with this!" My voice was harsh and cruel. I did this purposely, but felt bad the moment I saw Reiji's face turn into one of pain.

"Setsuna, you know why I didn't want anyone's help? Especially yours?" I nodded. "Because, Setsuna, I know how hard you struggle with your own problems, and the last thing I wanted was to add something to your plate. I didn't want anyone to worry about me when there were bigger things going on around here," he sighed. My heart twisted at his altruism, and especially so after he took so much care to make sure _I _wasn't overwhelmed by his illness.

I said nothing and took his hand.

XXX(Kai)

I cannot escape the darkness that has tainted my mind. I can feel it in my blood, in every singular cell. Sometimes, the pain is only a dull ache. Others, it is so sharp and apparent that I lose consciousness. But this is only collateral, seeing as I have already lost the ability to control my own actions.

When the darkness takes over, it is as if I am dreaming. I can see through my own eyes, hear and touch and taste and smell, but these actions are not my own. I am a mere puppet, a slave to the tainted spirit that sometimes wrestles control from my grasp. I am too weak to move my body, but not too weak to speak. So the evil has a voice, at times.

The doctor taking care of me has informed me that I will be released from the hospital and taken to where the camp is currently stationed. This should please me, but I cannot find a single shred of hope or happiness in my body.

"But Doctor, all of my friends will see me this way," I moan. To my complete misfortune, one of the nurses installed a long door mirror for the previous occupant of my hospital room. Every day I get to watch how my body deteriorates.

"Not to worry, Miss Kaiya. They are aware of your condition and should react accordingly. The campers, from what I hear, are very worried about you," he replied formally, jotting down notes on the clipboard attached to my bed. I swallowed the despair crawling up my throat and looked at him hard.

"If anyone screams, then what do I do? Pretend I don't hear it?" I let the anger flood my voice and the doctor looked surprised. I usually talk in nothing but monotone, in fear of giving the evil enough energy or emotion to control me. The Doctor said something noncommittal and patted my festering leg.

"Not to worry, Kaiya. This outing will be good for you, I promise." I scoffed and rolled my purple eyes. I had been in the hospital for so long that my pixie-style black hair was now to my shoulders. A nurse came in every other day to wash it and yank it back into a small ponytail. I thanked her every time, but I could see the disgust on her face. It was not easy looking at me, I knew, so I had to be gracious about people touching me.

The marks on my skin were green, raised, and abhorrent. When people came near, the evil sensed fresh flesh and shone brilliantly, trying to escape my skin and latch onto the healthy life nearby. Times like these I grit my teeth and bear down, barely containing the mass of malevolence.

A nurse came in with a wheelchair and helped me into it. It would be the first time I would be leaving this cell-like room in a long time. The nurse wheeled me to the roof, where a sharp-looking helicopter was waiting for me. The dawn's sunlight on my skin seemed to enlighten me, strengthen me. I could feel the darkness shrinking away from it.

Curious, I turned to face the north and quietly prayed for Suicune to save me. I felt a chilly breeze caress me, and then nothing. With a sad sigh I realized that I have been abandoned by the creature that had marked me.

The helicopter took off with me inside and the pilot told me we'd be there in a half-hour.

I only hoped Riley still found me beautiful.

XXX (Riley)

I woke up with a ridiculous hangover. The kind where you still sorta have the spins and just the thought of alcohol almost makes you puke. James looked like he was in the same boat that I was.

"Morning, dude. You look like crap," I chuckled.

"I'm still drunk," James slurred. Just then Vick threw open the door and ordered us all to get dressed and ready.

"Get up, guys! There's a big surprise down in the dining room, so you all better look nice. Especially you, Hansen," he growled. My foggy brain barely realized he was talking to me.

Getting clothes on was a whole nother challenge. I fell twice after sticking both my legs into one pant hole. It sucked, to put it simply. Hiro was watching me with dull amusement.

"What's up your ass, man? You've been depressed since like, five minutes ago!" I exclaimed. Hiro sighed, that small, angsty thing he did when he had girl problems.

"Kame?" Joe asked. Hiro nodded and explained what happened.

"I'm kind of mad, honestly. She doesn't trust me with anything anymore! Not even my feelings, which I've taken great care to express so explicitly before," he mused.

"But you two are still…" Reiji broke off to wheeze thickly. ''…part of the prophecy, aren't you?" A wet cough followed as he rose to get dressed.

"Yeah, we are. That's something completely beside this weird misunderstanding, though. I won't let the fate of the world depend on some girl and her suspicions." Hiro knotted the bandana around his forehead, choosing to leave his fauxhawk down for the day.

"Atta boy," I chimed in. "Get over that girl. She's your complete opposite, man. Shy and anxious? Puh-lease!" Hiro smirked his signature smirk and walked out of the room with Joe and Jolteon in tow. Reiji, James, and I soon followed. Once we reached the mess hall we realized we were the last ones to arrive. Everyone was seated and eating except for a few stragglers. Tarkov waved us over to a table that was directly beside the counselors'.

"You little sneaks need supervision now, that much is clear, and if I catch you swiping _anything_ from the kitchens again, I'll have your head on a plate," he snarled. I raised both my hands, palms up, in a gesture of aloof submission. We shuffled to the buffet to grab the usual bacon and eggs and sat down to eat. Hiro was halfway through his second cup of black coffee when Kame came in the doors. She looked pretty good, which is saying something, because I don't really find her attractive. But that wasn't what everyone was gawking at.

"Ey, Sid! Ye said ye'd save two seats fer us!"

It was the fact that Kame was holding hands with _Johnny Rotten._ Johnny Rotten, of all people? The orange haired, dirty-mouthed musician who's as foreign to this region as his teeth are to toothbrushes! Johnny pulled his fingers away and instead opted to put his arm around her. It seemed as if every pair of eyes were glued on them.

The moment the couple sat down, all those eyes immediately swiveled to Hiro. The half-blind boy was gripping his mug so tightly his olive knuckles were white.

"Ignore it, man. He's got your sloppy seconds," I hissed. Hiro didn't acknowledge me and simply sipped his coffee. James, who was sitting across from Hiro, threw Johnny a dirty look.

"What's that phrase you always say, Riley?" he began. "Ah, that's it. 'Bros before Hos', right?" James grinned widely and Hiro finally broke his stoic state. The triumphant boy swept his brown hair from his face and narrowed his blue eyes in Johnny's direction. Hiro sighed and looked at Jolteon.

"Well Jolt. Should we be mature men about this or should we play hardball?" Jolteon bristled with electricity, slightly shocking Hiro's tanned skin. The half-blind boy laughed.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. We'll play hardball."

"Attention Campers! We've got a very special treat for you today!" Hunter stood up and walked toward the open space by the buffet tables. Her long green hair was swept into a loose braid today, which coiled over her shoulder like a snake. My mind wandered to dirty places as I tried to not stare at her boobs. Hiro caught me looking.

"I know, man. It's like she bought a smaller bra or something!" I clapped my best friend on the back.

"There's the Taminama I know!" Hunter must have heard me, because two seconds later she was lecturing me.

"Sweet Arceus, Hansen! Can't you pay attention for a single moment? This whole thing is centered around your interests!" This shut me up. What the hell made me so special? I stole a glance at Hiro, who smirked cryptically.

Itachi rose from his seat and walked out of the mess hall. He returned shortly with someone in a wheelchair. From my space on the opposite side of the room, I couldn't tell who it was. The figure was slouched and obscured by the oversized hood of a purple sweatshirt. The figure moved in the chair and seemed to be facing me.

"After a long awaited rest, we've decided to bring back one of our fallen campers. Let's welcome back Kai!" Melody began a round of applause that quickly turned to excited cheering. I felt my heart nearly leap out of my chest. My legs wanted to move on their own, apparently, because before I could realize what I was doing I was crouched beside her, grabbing her hand. Her skin was freezing and sort of clammy but I could've cared less.

"Riley?" her voice was scratchy and weak. She pulled her hand away to draw the hood of her sweatshirt. When her face was finally revealed, the only thing I could register was her beauty.

"Kai…it's so good to see you," I said, kissing her cold fingers.

"Do you really mean that?" she asked. Large tears formed in her eyes and she flinched when I tried to wipe them away.

"Of course I do, Kai. Why would you ask me that?" Our conversation was quiet and I was vaguely aware that we were being watched. Kai merely shook her head and smiled at me.

"I just didn't want you to be afraid of how I looked," she muttered. Kai gripped my hand and looked around the room to greet everyone. Sensing our private conversation was over, everyone rushed to circle around the object of my affections.

XXX(Betelgeuse)

Ever since the moment we secured Kyogre as our own, I have not been able to shake the triumphant feeling from my mind. We need only one more piece of the puzzle before we begin the rebirth of the world.

I sat in our headquarters, absently petting my beautiful Zangoose. Before me, in metallic pokeballs, sat the three Terrors, and the rulers of the land and sea. I only needed the sky.

Rigel knocked twice and let himself in.

"Superior, we must make our move toward the Sky Tower soon," he began, pulling out a seat across from me at the meeting table. He pulled a pen from his pocket and let it float in the strange gravity while he fished for his notepad. "Soon, the rivalry between Groudon and Kyogre will become too great for even you to control. They are balanced by Rayquasa, Superior." He scratched the back of his head as if uncomfortable with sharing such information with me.

"Understood, Rigel. Excellent observation. See to it that the other Orion members are mobilized within the hour. Our trip should only take a week or so," I ordered. Rigel nodded and left the room.

Alone again, I walked over to the safe I had hidden in the wall and spun the dial to its correct combination. The latch slid open with a satisfying click. Inside were the scrolls I needed to summon Orion's great beast. These scrolls were the blueprints to the new world I was to create. The world I am _destined _to lead. I grabbed the scrolls and laid them upon the table. They were on brown crunchy parchment and labeled in roman numerals. I picked up the first scroll that told the legend of the beast.

"Xara, would you like to hear a story?" My sweet companion leapt onto the table, sitting tall at attention.

I cleared my throat and began reading the ancient texts.

"'_Long before catching and training Pokémon became commonplace, there was a single man who tamed the most dangerous creature that has ever existed. This man's name was Orion, and he was called the Hunter. Before man and Pokémon were friends, they were at war. The Pokémon were led by a foul beast with skin as tough as leather, horrible spines covering its body, hungry, empty eyes, and a soul as black as its coloring. The humans were led by Orion himself.'" _I paused to run my hands through Xara's black and red coat.

"'_When these two titans clashed, the world was nearly split in half. Each with a power so immense and ancient, these two beings fought for an entire month without tiring. And finally, after so much bloodshed and destruction, Orion severely wounded the horrible beast. With a piercing cry the beast fell to its knees and begged Orion for mercy. The only way the Hunter would let the Beast live was if the beast allowed him to catch it. Fearful for its life, the Beast complied._

"'_With the horrid creature finally tamed, the war was deemed over by Orion. It was only then that man and Pokémon could be on agreeable terms. Instead of training the Beast, as Orion had originally planned, the Hunter trapped the Beast far beneath the earth in the hopes that it would never be released again.'" _

I looked up from my reading and saw Meissa at the door with Aaron in tow. I sighed loudly.

"What do you idiots want?" Meissa slid open the door and swayed slightly as she entered. I could tell the gravity in the room bothered her. The girl's caramel-colored skin looked pallid and her hair was limp.

"Superior, we were wondering when you were going to join us for dinner. Mintaka cooked and she won't allow us to start without you," she said. Her eyes raked over the open scrolls and I resisted the urge to strike her. How dare she lay such unworthy eyes upon the scrolls of Orion?

"I shall be there shortly. Now be gone!"

XXX(Berane)

Losing my hand has singularly been the shittiest thing that's happened to me. I used to think the whole 'phantom limb' thing was a myth, but now I realize it's something I must live with every day. I've lost count of the times I've reached for something with my bloody stump and forgotten that I no longer have a hand there. It's maddening.

Talia definitely makes it better, but nothing stops my frustration. It's especially embarrassing when she forgets and tries to grab the hand that doesn't exist anymore.

The reunion with Kai was nice. It was one of the only good things that came out of this past week. And the madness is only beginning. We checked out of the inn and loaded the bus to move on. Kai was transported via helicopter and Riley went with her. It's the happiest I've seen him in days.

So we were on the road again. Melody was behind the wheel, thank Arceus, because if not it would've been Vick, who cannot drive to save his life. The weather outside was blistering, and countless complaints rang throughout the blackened bus. Tarkov was sleeping in one of the front benches with small earbuds shoved into his ears. Upon closer inspection I realized it was playing Russian opera. Yeesh. In the seat next to me was Hiro, who had requested the space given the fact that Talia and Kame were already walking together. He really didn't want to have any sort of interaction with her.

But whatever, Hiro's business is his own and I don't mind sharing the seat with him. When he's upset he's pretty quiet, which always works for the reserved type like myself.

"Our next stop is Pacifidlog Town," Itachi said, scanning a map before him. "Then we'll take the ferry to the Sky Pillar." His words were somber and heavy with dread. Joe, always curious, leaned over the seat to have a better look at the map. His Rattata poked his head out of Joe's backpack to rest on the black-haired boy's shoulder.

"Aren't we supposed to be picking up Fortuna?" Joe asked Itachi. "She called me on my Poketch last night!" At the mention of Fortuna, it seemed as if everyone looked from Hiro to Kame. Kame's features twisted into discontent and Hiro simply smirked. The very same smirk that has mocked many a man and charmed many a girl. Kame narrowed her eyes and glanced out the window. Itachi looked at his baby sister strangely and assured Joe that they would indeed be grabbing Fortuna. Well, hell. This should be _very_ interesting. The palpable tension in the bus was finally broken by the chime of Melody's cell phone. She fished it out of the pouch of her skirt and answered it.

"Melody Kirkland speaking…yes…Miracle? Well, thank you for double-checking, but my colleague was supposed to arrange to have Miracle cared for until further notice." Melody glared at Vick viciously. "If you could have that orchestrated I'd be grateful. Thank you, and keep us updated on her condition. Goodbye." She snapped the phone shut and practically threw it into her bag on the floor of the bus.

"Are you serious, Tatter? You forgot to extend Miracle's stay in the hospital?" The pink-haired counselor shrugged and apologized before Melody could criticize further.

"You're lucky we've still got a ways to go, Tatter, or your ass would be gra—" And that's when the flash cannon struck the bus. My eyes were instantly blinded by the blast, which hit Hiro and I's window. We were thrown across the cabin and into Itachi and Joe's laps. My stump of an arm struck the metal roof and I screamed in agony. Melody swerved dangerously on the little two way road, nearly striking another vehicle head-on.

"What was that?" Venice shrieked.

"Look! It's them Orion blokes!" Johnny shouted, gripping his bench for dear life. Everyone looked out the left-hand side of the bus to see Saiph riding his Flygon, the twins on matching Pidgeots, and, leading the way, was Mintaka and her Metagross. Tarkov was rocked from his nap and found himself thrown into an absolute clustercuss.

"CHRIST, MELODY! WE ARE HEADED STRAIGHT FOR THE CLIFF PATH!" He roared. And he was right. We were ascending up the small winding path that would lead us along the coastline and into Pacifidlog Town. If they hit us on this road, there were only two places our bus could go. Smashing into the Cliffside or crashing into the sea. Both options were equally dismal.

Saiph loaded his bow and let an arrow sail. It missed the back left tire by inches.

"We gotta get people out there!" Hunter growled. She grabbed Setsuna and tossed her into James so the bench would be open. Melody took a sharp turn and our counselor almost lost her balance.

"Stand back!" Hunter warned. She held onto the emergency hatch built into the ceiling and yanked down hard, nearly hitting Sid in the face with the detached door.

"Sorry, Sid! Tropius, let's go!" She threw her pokeball through the hatch and Tropius emerged swiftly, stretching his leaf-like wings in the ocean air. Hunter pulled herself up and onto the roof, jumping onto her companion's back.

The look on her face was feral. I had seen that look only one other time. Long ago, when my father would take me out to camp in the forests, we'd always have to watch out for Ursaring and their young. One night, an Ursaring and her cubs were threatened by a pack of Houndoom. The fierce expression on that mama bear's face was one of sacrifice and the raw desire to protect her young. I realized now this was the way Hunter looked when she feared for our safety.

XXX(James)

"C'mon Jet! It's time to end this!" I was boosted onto the roof with help from the Brits. Jet the Garchomp scooped me up and took to the skies, sliding through the air like a bullet. I was soon joined by Hiro and his Charizard, and Johnny, who borrowed Miracle's Dragonite, Drake.

Hunter looked relieved when she saw us. I snuck a look back at the bus, afraid that if I did look, I'd see it careening off the cliff and into the rocks below.

"X-wing, Jet!" I decided to first aim for the twins, whose speed and synchronization proved to be an extreme advantage. The only difference between Orion members and us was that the Orion members weren't afraid to use weapons on people or Pokémon. So when Jet successfully clipped the wing of Alnitak's Pidgeot, I can't say I was surprised to feel the hot slice of her dagger in my arm. Luckily it only nicked me.

"You tore my Johto bomber jacket! My pilot jacket! This is pure leather, mind you!" I shouted, cutting back with Jet to avoid an arrow from Saiph. Hiro had engaged the archer with Charizard and what appeared to be the fire extinguisher from the bottom of the bus.

"What the hell are ya doin, mate?" Johnny yelled. Hiro ignored the orange-haired Brit and ordered Charizard to swoop closer.

"Flygon, Solarbeam!" A brilliant beam of energy bulleted toward Hiro.

"Charizard, dodge it and get closer!" he shouted. The half-blind boy leapt from Charizard's back and landed gracelessly onto Saiph, trying to wrestle the bow from his hands. Saiph came in from the left with a wicked hook and Hiro was blindsided. Literally. But the boy was not deterred. As they struggled, I couldn't help but notice the fire extinguisher was now strapped to his back, obviously for some later purpose.

I'm still trying to figure out what Hiro plans on doing with a fire extinguisher, but I have bigger things to worry about. Like the fact that the Solarbeam originally intended for Hiro missed him and hit the bus directly where Venice was sitting.

Or the fact that the bus just rolled off the road and was free-falling.

Straight toward the rocks.

Straight towards death.

XXX


	38. Hell Unleashed

**I shall skip the long pretenses and continue with the second and installment of the two-part 1****st**** person POV chapter. PERHAPS I'LL MAKE IT A THREE PART EPISODE. **

**THANKS FOR THE FIGHT SCENE, CRAZYYANMEGA. I had to alter it to be in first person, but I left it untouched otherwise! **

**A-like so.**

**XXX(James) **

My world had suddenly screeched to a halt. Everything was in slow motion. The careening bus, the burst of heat and energy—and, the worst part—the shrieks of my friends. Jet sliced through the air toward the falling vehicle, but even his speed wasn't enough.

"James, the bus!" Riley banked on his Charizard and dove, eyes set on the front wheels. Realizing his plan, I took to the back. We all got in position and braced ourselves for the impact. I looked skyward, watching the bus inch slowly towards me, and heard the dreaded cry of Mintaka: "_Flash Cannon!" _The light blinded me.

"Krabby, Protect!" Joe yelled. Krabby projected his shield from the inside of the bus. Metagross' Flash Cannon still rocked the vehicle, but the campers inside were uninjured. Jet and Charizard caught the half-destroyed thing with their muscular arms and directed it to a sturdy-looking outcropping twenty meters below. I scrambled off of Jet's back and squeezed through a half-open window, intent on finding my Venice. Her body was twisted beneath a bench and the emergency exit hatch that Hunter had ripped off earlier. Black soot marred her alabaster skin.

"Venice? _Venice!_ Speak to me!" I grabbed her tiny wrist and tried to yank her out of the wreckage. I looked around, shocked that no one was trying to help me. "Hello! Isn't anyone paying attention? Venice could be seriously hurt!" My anger only spiked as Setsuna looked upon me pitifully. _Fine, _I thought. _I'll just have to save the goddamned day myself! _

I hooked my leg over the windowsill and hauled myself in, nearly breaking my face on the metal frame of the bench that was crushing Venice. I could hear Mintaka shrieking obscenities behind me. After a couple hard pulls that nearly threw my back, I untangled my girl from the gnarled metal. The bus jolted again.

"Venice! Venice, please, speak to me!" I shook her shoulder gently at first, and then harder.

"It's no use, James! She's gone!" Tarkov snapped. I felt white-hot rage steal through me.

"No! She's not! I won't give up!" I snarled. I grabbed Venice's limp body and tilted her head back. I hastily wiped the soot from her mouth and began my embarrassing attempt at resuscitation.

"James! Chest compressions! Without them the assisted breathing is useless! You have to restart the heart!" Reiji shouted over the din. He scrambled over the twisted guts of the bus to hand me a vial of that strange red liquid. I gently laid Venice down and began the compressions.

"At least 100 per minute, if you can," he advised. While I did this, Reiji tilted the vial into Venice's mouth. The viscous liquid spilled past her lips and into her throat.

Another explosion. More screaming. Shattered glass raining on us. Once the shaking stopped, Venice opened her green eyes and hacked a horrible cough. She gasped for air greedily, and the first thing her hand found was my shirt, to pull me to her face and kiss ne full on the mouth.

XXX(Joe)

"S-she's alive!" James screamed. He wiped the brown sweaty hair from his forehead and clutched Venice's pale body to his. I watched this from the front of the bus. My attention was needed elsewhere, however, as a buzzing sensation distracted me from their reunion. It was my poketch.

"Incoming call from Fortuna!" I punched the green button on the watch's face to answer the interface.

"Fortuna! Help us! Team Orion's trying to kill us!" A conflicting mix of rising panic and relief at the contact with a person outside the situation raged in me. Fortuna's brows knit in confusion and then fear.

"_Where are you? What happened?" _

"Team Orion followed us on our way to the ferry and they've hit the bus! Come save us, we're on the cliff path!"

"_Holy—okay, Joe! Hold on! I'm coming from the Pokémon center by the ferry!" _she said, cutting off the transmission. My faithful Krabby continued using Protect as long as he could, but soon he wavered and the shield broke.

"We're no longer protected!" Vick yelled. "Everyone, move to the side of the bus that faces the cliff! Brace yourselves and hold on!" We all scrambled over each other to weigh the bus down on one side.

"This way, we won't be caught off balance!" Melody cranked the jammed steering wheel toward the cliff in an effort to keep the bus' wheels from turning us toward the ocean below.

"Joe! Who was that on your Poketch?" Itachi asked. I climbed past Talia, who gingerly dabbed her bleeding nose with Berane's sleeve.

"It was my cousin Fortuna. She's on her way to help!" Itachi's eyes closed and he sighed a breath of relief. I was considering offering him a drink of my water when he bolted from his perch and pointed out toward the water.

"Look! It's a Gyarados!"

"That's Fortuna!" I watched as my cousin rode the waves on her companion, slicing through the water quick as lightning.

Hopefully she could take them by surprise and prevent anyone else from losing their life.

XXX(Hiro)

I was locked in battle with Saiph. It seemed as if this bastard's quiver of arrows never depleted, because I knocked each one away with the fire extinguisher I clutched. It was my only defense. Jolt send bolt after bolt toward the Flygon, but his Pokémon was trained well. The Flyon dodged and dove with ease, even with the added pressure of my pursuing Charizard.

"Is that all you've got, blindie?" Jolteon barked at the last moment, alerting me of an attacker coming from my left. But my companion was too late. Alnitak flew forward on his Pidgeot and slammed his fist into my jaw as soon as he got close enough. He literally blindsided me.

"Charizard! Flamethrower!" Charizard howled and released a spew of flames towards our assailants. But Alnitak and his Pidgeot were insanely fast. The hot jet of fire barely singed his tail feathers. I saw a flash of yellow and white on the bird and I was simultaneously shocked and elated.

Jolteon had gone to our rescue. When Alnitak flew close, Jolt must have jumped on Pidgeot's back. I ordered another flame thrower from Charizard, which kept Saiph distracted while we dove.

"Thunder, Jolt!" I commanded. With what could only be a smirk, Jolteon electrocuted the both of them, leaving a dark, sooty crisp on trainer and Pokémon. Charizard swooped and Jolteon jumped into my arms.

"Atta boy!" he licked my cheek and I felt his comforting shock.

"Hiro!" I heard the voice below me and looked down to see Fortuna, rising up from the surf on the back of a Gyarados. She waved her arms and signaled for me to come get her. Charizard dipped again and her hands found mine. I pulled her onto Charizard's back so she was seated behind me.

"Gyarados, return!" Fortuna cried. The faithful Dragon-type disappeared with a beam of red light. Fortuna and I then turned to the task at hand.

"We need to take out Saiph. He's trying to kill the campers!" I shouted. Saiph, true to his trade, let loose another volley of arrows headed toward the campers.

"I'll take Saiph. Drop me in!" With little time to argue with my old friend, we dove over Saiph's Flygon and Fortuna leaped. She landed feet first onto Saiph, kicking his bow down to the waves below. A resounding cheer rose from the bus.

"You little skank!" Saiph roared as he swung for Fortuna's face. He missed by inches. Flygon, realizing there was an unwanted passenger aboard, began to buck wildly.

"Hiro!" Fortuna screamed for my assistance. Her painted nails twisted in Saiph's dark curls and yanked. He howled as a clump of hair pulled free.

XXX(Hunter)

My momentarily relief at Fortuna's distraction went as quickly as it came. I was locked in full battle with one of my most hated enemies. Mintaka threw back her head and laughed as her Metagross' flash cannon ignited one of Tropius' leafy wings. I smothered the flame with my windbreaker and ordered another solar beam.

"It's over, Hunter! Your little brats are going to be barbecued alive!" I tried to ignore her taunts but I couldn't shake the fear that gripped me. Mintaka was barely engaging the bus anymore. Her main focus was getting rid of me. Her lackeys took her previous task, but there was something this monster was hiding. Why didn't she just roast the bus in the first place?

"It's not over yet," I growl. "Tropius! Leaf Storm!" Mintaka withstood the attack and pulled a gun from a holster on her hip.

"NO!" I shriek—not because she's pointed it at me, oh no, it's because I'm afraid once she's killed me she'll turn on my kids.

"Say good night, you green-haired bitch," Mintaka spat. She pointed the gun at me and fired. The funny thing was, once guns fire, it's impossible to see the bullet. The object flying toward me wasn't a bullet.

Looking back, I wish it were. The barbed thing embedded into my skin and exploded with wires that constricted me like snakes. Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, the wires came to life and electrocuted me. I felt blood vessels pop in my eyes and my bladder release. Tropius must have been struck as well, for the last thing I remember before blacking out was the intensity of which our bodies slammed into the waves.

XXX(Mintaka)

Good. I hope that vile piece of shit drowns. I quickly commanded Metagross to turn and take me to the Sky Tower. Once I'm there I'll alert the superior and win my place as second in command. I'm sick and tired of a meathead like Rigel standing where I should be. I left the battleground behind and laughed into the ocean air.

XXX(Fortuna)

I tried to keep Saiph off of me as long as I could, but fighting someone bigger than you, let alone a bigger male was proving to be difficult. I bit and clawed at his face until I could feel his skin peel under my fingers. I had raked four shallow cuts into his cheek. He broke free and backhanded me hard. I lost my grip on Flygon and nearly careened off the thrashing Pokémon.

But falling must have not been satisfactory enough for Saiph, because he caught me by my boot and yanked me back on. I barely had time to put up my arms to block the blow of his fist. We both paused for a long moment to stare at each other.

Then I did something I'd regret later. I reached slowly for Saiph's chiseled face and pulled it to mine. And I kissed that murderer straight on his mouth.

XXX(Kame)

A Gyarados. I should've guessed. I was trapped in this damned bus with those deemed weak or unfit to fight. Those who were too young. Well I was sick of it. One call from Joe's poketch and suddenly Fortuna rides in on a freaking Gyarados to save the day?

I'm getting tired of it. And to top it off, that floosy just locked lips with a _Team Orion Member._ For Arceus' sake, she better not get within five feet of me. Talia must have sensed my rage, because she left Berane's side to grasp my wrist softly.

"It's going to be okay, Kame. Hiro will be just fine," she said softly. This only made my anger spike.

"Do you think this is about Hiro, Talia?!" I stood up and ripped Altaria's pokeball from my hip. "Do you seriously think this is about that _blind_ asshole?" Talia gasped at my cruelty. I looked around the bus to meet pair after pair of shocked eyes. My counselors were even startled. I scoffed and looked outward, watching Hiro and Riley struggle with the twins.

"Maybe I'm just tired of sitting on the sidelines while everyone older and better than me get to fight! I'm sick of it!" I was vaguely aware I was screaming now but I couldn't care less. I turned my back on the camp and poised to throw Altaria's ball into the air when a hand caught my shoulder. I wheeled, ready to launch a slew of curses, but the hand that stopped me belonged to James. I met his blue eyes with my scarred one and waited for him to speak.

"Take Jet. He's quicker than Altaria and will be able to transport you with less of a struggle." He placed the pokeball in my hand and it grew to its normal size.

"Thank you. I'll bring him back," I promised. I took to the air and set out to prove myself once and for all.

XXX(Riley)

Damn. This day was just going from bad to worse. Once I saw Hunter and Tropius plummet into the ocean, I dove as quick as Charizard would take me. He beat his black wings against the sky and tore toward the surf.

"Char, fly low and stay close! I'm gonna go in!" Charizard growled in assent and I dove off my companion's back and into the freezing water. I had to swim down a bit, but I found Hunter's slim wrist and dragged her to my body. Tropius' lightweight build allowed him a moment of rest in the choppy waves. I heard screams above me and tried to ignore them.

I dragged Hunter over my shoulders, like I've seen firemen do, and reached in her pocket for Tropius' pokeball. I found it and coaxed the wounded Pokémon inside.

"Pick us up, Char!" I screamed. The lizard Pokémon dipped and scooped me up in his claws. I clambered my way clumsily onto his back and secured my grip on Hunter.

"To the bus!" When we flew to the rock shelf cries of relief sounded from the interior of the bus. Melody opened the sliding doors and took Hunter's limp form from me.

"You've saved her life, Riley," Melody said quietly. Tears fell from her icy gaze, and I realized just how close the two counselors were. Tarkov guided the two inside and they set to work on healing her. I turned back to the sky and saw Jet, James' Garchomp, with Kame on his back.

"The hell? Who let her out there?" I turned, slamming my fist against the bus. Pairs of guilty eyes avoided my gaze. "How do you all think Hiro's gonna feel? No matter what kind of state they're in, Hiro really cares about her! What do you think it'd be like if it were me, and you sent _Kai_ out? Think about it!" I leapt onto Char's back and kicked off hard, bent on bringing the half-blind girl back to safety, if only for the sanity of my best friend.

XXX(Saiph)

One moment, this painfully attractive brat is clawing my face off. The next, her soft lips are pressed against mine. Even with my diabolical mind, this equation doesn't add up. Granted, I was only twenty, which made this girl eighteen, maybe nineteen, but it didn't matter. I was a part of something bigger and better than she will ever be.

I play a major role in rebirthing this world. But…for the time being, I allowed this petty luxury. I ran my fingers through her soft, dark brown hair and Flygon stopped moving. I forgot my bow. I forgot the blood on my face. All I knew was the taste of her.

She broke the kiss and stared at me with her slate eyes. In them was a mix of curiosity and something I couldn't place.

"What's your name?" I found myself asking.

"Fortuna," she breathed. "And you?"

"Saiph."

"Why are you doing this? Don't you believe that there's still good inside of you?" I tried searching within, but I could only feel the rush and ecstasy that evil gave me.

"There's nothing left but bad, sweetheart. Don't try to change me," I warned, taking her hand and squeezing it hard. The curiosity left her eyes and the unnamed expression took over.

"I'm not interested in changing you," she said, placing her hands on my thighs. My heart rate spiked and my mouth went dry. "What's wrong, handsome? Who says we can't have a little fun?" She looped slender fingers through my belt loops and pulled herself closer to me. My body froze when I felt her lips on my neck.

"W-what are you doing?" And that's when I realized what she was really doing. Fortuna grabbed the knife at my belt and shoved it into my back. She threw herself away and slid off Flygon, releasing a Gyarados who prepared to catch her in the water.

I don't know how I was so foolish.

XXX(?)

My time with my sister was over. There were things that had to be done. By following the pattern of Orion's tirade, I made my way to the Sky Tower and sat at the topmost level, waiting. I knew they would come. So I sat at the foot of Rayquasa's statue, Yanmega at my side. They'd come. I just knew it.

The people at the tower were kind to me. I had told them of our Camp's plight and they provided me with food and shelter. Now all I had to do was what I'd promised. And that was to protect the Sky Tower at whatever cost. I didn't call Tarkov or Melody to let them know my plan. That would've created some complications and pressure for them to come to my aid. I didn't need it. They'd find me soon enough.

And after two days of patience, my wish was granted. I saw Mintaka streaming toward the tower atop her Metagross. I almost smiled. Once Mintaka burst through the doors, her triumphant smile twisted into a grimace.

"It's you!" she snarls, recalling her Metagross. I stood, brushed off my khakis, and Yanmega perched on my shoulder.

"Indeed it is. You have no business being here, Mintaka. I'm going to stop you," I announce. Mintaka laughs and the action tosses her blonde hair.

"I'd like to see you try." Mintaka called out a Girafarig and planted her feet.

"Girafarig, shake 'em up with Psybeam!" Mintaka yelled. The giraffe-like Psychic-Type whinnied as it focused its mental energy into its horns. I snorted, unimpressed, as the energy reached critical levels. I tossed a Pokéball into the air.

"Kingdra, intercept with Smoke Bombs," I ordered. The pale blue Dragon Pokémon emerged from the Pokéball and unleashed a stream of opaque black spheres as Mintaka's Girafarig launched its Psybeam. The attacks met at the center of the battle field, struggling against each other before detonating in a wall of black smoke. "Yanmega, Air Slash at five percent power, rapid fire!"

"Yanyan, ma!" Yanmega launched from its perch on my shoulder and flew high into the air, using the smoke cloud as cover. Wispy tendrils of energy began gathering at the red tips of the Ogre-Darner Pokémon's wings.

"Quick," Mintaka ordered. "Light Screen!" Girafarig's eyes flashed as the _ Pokémon created a cube-like network of interlocking golden tiles. An instant later an unrelenting barrage of light blue air bullets streaked through the wall of smoke and burst against the Light Screen.

"Air Slash Form Two! Full power!" Mintaka jumped back as what appeared to be buzz-saw blades spun into the Light Screen and began spinning in place, trying to cut through the barrier.

"Tyranitar!" she shouted as the force field protecting her began sparking. A Pokéball activated from her belt and Mintaka's large Armor Pokémon emerged.

"Taaarrrrrrrr!" her Tyranitar roared as its Sandstream Ability activated, whipping up a harsh sandstorm that blew away the smokescreen protecting me and my Pokémon. Mintaka could see her opponent struggling to recall my vulnerable Pokémon from the dangerous Sandstorm attack.

"Heatran, use Heatwave! Maximum power!" My Lava Dome Pokémon opened its maw and spewed intense ribbons of flame, lashing and flowing over the Light Screen protecting Mintaka. Mintaka's Girafarig gritted its teeth as the Light Screen began to fail.

"Dark Pulse on my mark, Tyranitar," Mintaka whispered, carefully eying the pattern in the flow of the enemy attack. "Three… two… one… NOW!" Her Tyranitar obediently fired off a volley of dark energy rings which scattered Heatwave, right down Heatran's throat. Without Heatwave applying pressure to the Light Screen, Mintaka's Girafarig managed to stabilize the barrier. Mintaka grinned as the flow of battle began shifting in her favor. "Tyranitar, Hyper Beam! Girafarig, Psybeam!"

My Heatran bellowed in pain as both attacks scored direct hits. As Mintaka's Pokémon charged up for a second shot, I clenched my fists. _Not yet, _I thought. _Not yet…_

"Magma Drill!" I roared, a roar which was echoed by Heatran as the Fire/Steel-Type Pokémon glowed with intense heat. Mintaka stumbled as the floor beneath her feet began to crack and shift. As ordered, Girafarig fired off a second Psybeam, but the attack glanced off of Heatran's armored head. Tyranitar looked down between its feet, where the focal point of all of the breaks in the floor was. Suddenly a spinning object glowing red-hot shot out of the floor like a ballistic missile, hitting Tyranitar in the jaw as it exited the ground. This caused Tyranitar's mouth to slam shut, prematurely detonating the Hyper Beam and nearly dislocating the Armor Pokémon's jaw. Tyranitar fell and Mintaka recalled him.

"This isn't over yet!" Mintaka pulled a gun on me and aimed for my eyes. All of our Pokémon froze.

"Don't do this. You don't know what you're doing! You're crazy!" I yelled, backing into Rayquasa's shrine. My hand hit the seal on the statue and I felt it grow warm beneath my fingers. I dared to take my eyes from my assailant to check. The statue began to glow.

"What are you doing?" Mintaka demanded. "What's happening?" The statue hummed with power and the brightness of its light increased until it was impossible to see.

Then the shrine exploded, and a horrifying roar split the air.

XXX


	39. When Hope is Abandoned

**Other than the fact that I have to tell you this is switched back to my erratic changing not-quite-third-person tense that I favor for my fanfictions, there is no preamble. **

**Let's get to it. **

**XXX**

The sound was earsplitting. Cameron was thrown forward from the burst of power that exploded from the Rayquaza Statue behind him. He dared to look back, and saw a flash of shimmering green skin. He had summoned the Sky High Pokémon, and once he looked into those infinite black eyes, those eyes with glowing yellow orbs in their depths, he was taken by the power he was given years ago. A solid mark, a serpentine design of green and gold, began to glow through the leg of his khakis. The light was so bright it was visible through the durable fabric. Mintaka was petrified behind him.

"_Why have you summoned me?" _Rayquaza's ancient voice rang in Cameron's mind. His head lolled back and his eyes shone with yellow light.

"I-I'm sorry, but I had no choice!" Cameron began. "This vile woman-creature was going to summon you using horrible sacrifices, and I cannot stand by and let them capture you!" Yanmega flitted to the side of his master, and nodded his jeweled head vigorously. Rayquaza adjusted himself around the ruin of his shrine, wrapping his long body around the pedestal. He tilted his face towards the east.

"_I sense that my brethren have been summoned as well. But why aren't Kyogre and Groudon fighting?" _ The great Pokémon closed his eyes for a moment. "_They have been _captured_?" _To accompany the Pokémon's disbelief, another deafening roar split the air. Mintaka covered her ears.

"Y-yes, great Rayquaza. This woman behind me was trying to do the same to you!" Cameron leaned forward and moaned once, the flare of power from his marks was pushing him to the edge of unconsciousness. Rayquaza considered the glowing trainer it had marked so many years ago, then looked back to the woman this trainer had convicted.

"_You may have captured my brothers, but to capture me is an impossible task. I dare you to try." _

"No! Rayquaza, you must flee! Gather the other legendaries and head to your brothers! The rest of her team is headed here, and quickly!" Cameron pointed west out of the hole in the top of the Sky Pillar toward the flashes of light and explosions coming from the cliffs by the sea. Rayquaza grew angry at Cameron's command.

"_No trainer will tell me what I should or should not do!_" it howled. Mintaka laughed behind Cameron and the legendary Pokémon turned its gaze upon her.

"_Do not think you are safe. I can sense the evil in your blackened soul, human. Justice shall be wrought upon you soon enough." _

XXX

James was correct when he told Kame that Jet would be faster. The pokemon cut through the air with astonishing speed.

"Altaria, help me!" She tossed the sky blue pokeball into the air above her, and her beloved companion fell in formation with Jet. The half-blind girl watched Alnitak and Alnilam rescue Saiph from his fall. His Flygon hovered closely, fretting over his injured master. Alnitak yanked the dagger from his back and staunched the flow of blood with Saiph's shirt. A flash of orange appeared in her peripheral vision, and she realized it was Hiro.

"Kame! What are you doing up here?" he yelled over the din. Alnilam commanded a whirlwind from her Pidgeot and he was thrown back a few meters. Charizard almost barreled into the geysers of water Fortuna's Gyarados conjured below.

"Proving a point! I don't need you to protect me anymore!" she snarled back. At once his face looked utterly hurt. Jolteon looked at his master's face, gauging his reaction, and turned to growl at Kame.

"This isn't about you and me anymore, Kame. This is bigger than that," he said. Kame rolled her eyes.

"It's never about you and me anymore. That's the problem!" She turned Jet back toward the bus and flew off. Hiro exhaled sharply and turned his attention toward the ocean below.

XXX

Fortuna called for Hiro from the surf. She waved her arms in large arcs as her half-blind friend came to retrieve her. She took his hand and slid onto Charizard's back. Jolteon wedged himself on her lap.

"Saiph is neutralized, Alnitak and Alnilam still need to be taken care of. Rigel and Betelgeuse are nowhere to be found. And Mintaka is probably at the Sky Tower by now. What do we do?" Hiro steered Charizard towards the battered bus. Riley and Kame were fighting the twins, and Hiro did his best to ignore them. Tarkov stood next to his Nidoking on the rock shelf, protecting the bus from further harm.

"Taminana! Fortuna!" he greeted them distractedly, keeping his eyes on the twins in the air. Melody poked her head out of the driver's side window and called to them.

"Take the older campers and get to the Sky Tower at once! Itachi and Vick will accompany you!" The two counselors emerged from the bus, summoning a Dragonite to carry them. James, Berane, Setsuna, Joe (who was immediately pulled back in by Melody), Sid, and Johnny (to Hiro's distaste). Reiji stayed behind with Venice to help and heal, Talia was too fainthearted to fight, and Emily remained to comfort her. Joe grumbled from the back of the bus, Hunter was asleep in the front, and Melody stood watch over them all. Her Zangoose was sentinel in the driver's seat.

Hiro and Fortuna took to the air, following the Dragonite Itachi and Vick were seated on. Behind him flew Berane and Setsuna, on the back of Angelice, the Garchomp. Ichigo, Melody's Charizard, carried the Brits. The Sky Tower was only meters ahead.

"Be ready to fight!" Vick called out. His pink hair was whipping in the wind. Johnny Rotten looked over Sid's shoulder and at the Sky Tower in the distance. Suddenly, a blinding green light exploded from the topmost floor. It emerged from the broken debris of the westward wall.

"We gotta hurry! Rayquasa is in trouble!" Sid roared. The ragtag team of trainers streamlined for the shining tower, oblivious to the two looming shadows above them.

Something was coming, and no one knew what.

XXX

"Xara! Return!" Betelgeuse clipped her pokeball to the belt of his slacks and stepped into the helicopter with the Orion Symbol emblazoned on the side. Rigel was in the pilot's seat, flipping switches and testing the radio system. They were within the Sky Pillar's vicinity, illegally parked on an old Pokémon center building. Betelgeuse saw the flash of green in the sky and smiled.

"Our plan is nearly complete, Rigel. Get Meissa and that boy on the communicator." Rigel tapped a screen that was mounted into the dashboard of the helicopter. The menu lit up and Rigel scrolled through the contact list until he reached Meissa. A few seconds later she appeared on the screen.

"Meissa. Give me good news," Betelgeuse said.

"Well, Aaron, Grim and I are waiting right on the outskirts of Route 131. We're ready to intercept the bus once it comes."

"Excellent. Have you heard word from Saiph and the others?" Rigel slowly turned the key in the ignition and gunned the throttle, lifting the aircraft gently off of the roof.

"According to the twins, Saiph has been stabbed. Most likely fatal. Mintaka has reached the Sky Pillar as planned."

"Yes, that much is obvious, as Rayquasa has been summoned." Betelgeuse turned his eerie golden eyes upon the swirl of clouds and green light that engulfed the Tower.

"We'll keep you updated." Sari cut transmission then and Betelgeuse scoffed.

"That impertinent rat just hung up on me!" he growled, slamming his fist on the communicator. He was about to begin ranting when Rigel stopped him.

"Superior—look!" Rigel nearly crashed the craft as he took his hand off the throttle to point. Betelgeuse slapped him and turned his attention toward the sky. His mouth fell open with a soft pop. Just below the cover of the gathering clouds, two shadows flew towards the Pillar.

"C-could it be?" Rigel whispered. Betelgeuse nodded.

"Get us there, _now! _We must stop them!"

XXX

Getting close to the Sky Pillar was difficult, considering a majority of its floors were obscured by whirlwinds of thick clouds. They billowed and howled as they circled its walls. Above the clouds, on the top ten floors of the Tower, the storm subsided and the levels were visible. The team of campers flew toward the enormous hole blown through the western wall. An eerie green light would flash in intervals, but this did not deter them. Unbeknownst to the campers, two shadows followed closely.

"Vick and I will go in first!" Itachi called. "When you hear Dragonite roar, you'll know it's safe to follow!" Tachi kicked the Dragonite into gear and directed him towards the gaping opening. Every time the green glow would flash, Fortuna gripped Jolteon tighter. Hiro glared over at Johnny, who was staring ahead with his rotten mouth open. Sid was more interested in the dirt underneath his fingernails. Setsuna, who was guiding Angelice in Berane's steed, was tapping silently at a tiny tablet in her hand. Possibly calculating the likelihood of their deaths. Berane awkwardly hugged Setsuna with one arm, keeping his handless arm shoved in his coat pocket.

Dragonite's deep mewling rumbled from the Tower, and Hiro pushed his Charizard forward. Ichigo and Angelice were quick to follow. The sunshine disappeared behind a thick swath of clouds, and the temperature dropped several degrees.

"Oi! It's damn cold up 'ere, no one told me to bring a jumper!" Johnny yelled. Hiro wheeled on him.

"Shut your goddamned mouth! Do you want to be _killed_?"

"By who, exactly? You or them Orion blokes?" Hiro was about to command Charizard to maul the Brit when Jolteon shocked him as a gentle reminder to focus on the task at hand. The group of campers entered the room and almost wished they hadn't.

Vick and Itachi had been captured. They sat in chains on the far wall, guarded by the Twins. Vick's Dragonite was being painfully tortured by Rigel. Betelgeuse and Xara stood behind Mintaka, who was fiercely battling Cameron and Yanmega. In the north side of the room, a glowing Rayquasa watched the scene.

"Ah, the blind one. So nice of you to walk into our trap." Betelgeuse looked around for a moment, and frowned.

"Where is your blind companion? Did she die in the fight by the sea?" Hiro clenched his fists and ignored the jest. Cameron, distracted by their exchange, looked over in abject fear.

"Yanmega! Go protect my campers! Kingdra, use smoke screen!" Choking black smoke began to pour from the water type in a desperate attempt to bring them cover. Betelgeuse, undeterred, walked straight through the smoke and up to the half-blind boy. Before he could threaten him further, Hiro snapped his fingers and Jolteon leapt for Betelgeuse's throat. The electric type caught hold and electrocuted the man, bringing him to his knees. Hiro kicked him over, scooped up his friend, and recalled his Charizard.

"Fortuna, let's go!" She nodded and released her Starmie, who spun off into the smoke. Setsuna was immediately engaged by the Twins.

"Ready to fight, cripple?" Alnilam cackled. Setsuna threw Houndour's and Umbreon's pokeballs at them furiously.

"Umbreon, quick attack! Houndour, Flamethrower!" The redheads hadn't even called out their companions. Umbreon tackled Alnitak, who got the breath knocked out of him. He landed on his back, wheezing. Alnilam was luckier. She dodged the flamethrower and called out her Pidgeot, who cleared the room of smoke. Everyone was caught off-guard.

"Xara, iron tail!" Betelgeuse shouted. With shocking speed, the Zangoose darted past the battle between Mintaka and Cameron and attacked the Brits. Ichigo, with no instruction, jumped in front of the boys.

"Bloody hell! That's a well-trained pokemun if I've e'er seent it!" Sid cried. Johnny helped him to his feet and they set to freeing their counselors. Meanwhile, the battle in the center of the room raged on. Yanmega, who realized that assisting the campers was now a lost cause, jumped back in the fray and began assaulting Mintaka's Girafarig.

"Metagross! Flash cannon!" Kingdra whinnied in pain as he took the brunt of the blow.

"Shake it off, buddy! Use Hydro Pump on the floor!" Mintaka laughed at this command. Kindgra soaked the metal floors of the Pillar. Metagross landed in the puddle and waited for his next command.

"Taminama! Your Jolteon!" Cameron screamed. Jolteon flit to his side and let loose a stream of thunderbolts, aimed at the water Mintaka's Pokémon were standing on. The effect was immediate. Supercharged by the water, the bolts of electricity nearly paralyzed the Orion member's Pokémon. They fell to the ground, unconscious. Mintaka howled in rage. She ripped a small black remote from the holster on her belt and aimed it at Cameron.

"I know what you are, Torvenal!" she shrieked. Itachi and Vick screamed their protests as she aimed the box at their counselor. The entire room had stopped. She punched the button on top and two black nodes shot from the box, embedding themselves in Cameron's arms and torso. The look on his face read pure pain, but he did not cry out. He barely stumbled. Rayquasa turned its attention to Cameron and stared at him, almost in waiting. Slowly, but surely, brilliant green marks appeared on Cameron's skin. They were a mixture of swirls and stars, possibly attributing to the wind, or space. But everyone knew what they were.

Cameron had been touched by a Rayquasa, and Mintaka just activated his marks. Cameron sunk to his knees, and moaned once in agony. He opened his eyes and they flashed bright green.

"Do it, Mintaka! Do it now!" Betelgeuse snarled. Setsuna ran to her counselor's aid but Cameron shoved her away. This was his battle, and he would fight it alone. He turned to Rayquasa, who had left the shrine and coiled its body around Cameron.

_"It is obvious that one of my kind has shown you favor," _the Legendary began. Its timeless voice echoed in the minds of every person in the room. _"Let it be known that just because you have been marked, this does not guarantee any mortal's safety. I do not view humans the same way my brethren might." _

Mintaka pulled a pokeball from her pocket and dropped to the floor, quickly drawing a design on its surface with chalk. Johnny ran forward to stop her, but Rayquasa's eyes flashed green and everyone was frozen, with the exception of Mintaka and Cameron.

_"Do not move, loud one," _Rayquaza said, gesturing to Johnny. "_The reason I have spared you both thus far was because your command of Pokémon and their powers is above and beyond what I expected. You have a mastery of your companions." _Cameron was shuddering, overwhelmed by the power in his body transferred from Rayquaza's touch. Mintaka ignored the Pokémon, and instead finished her design. She released a baby Rattata, who looked up at the blonde woman with big red eyes. Mintaka unsheathed a knife from her belt and held the baby Pokémon down.

"No!" Fortuna cried.

"_Silence, girl!" _Rayquaza bellowed. He was so distracted by the shimmering body of Cameron in his arms that he didn't notice Mintaka muttering in the old language, and slitting the throat of the Rattata. The blood that spilt on the design in the floor ignited, and Mintaka was sitting in the middle of a small fire with black flames.

"By the power I invoke, fueled by the blood of the innocent, I command a bond!" Mintaka put her palm on the body of the Rattata, who was slowly consumed by the black flames. A black cloud swirled above her until it turned into an opaque mass of dark energy. Mintaka closed her eyes and whispered again, and the mass flew straight toward Rayquaza and Cameron. Rayquaza howled in pain on contact, and finally Cameron broke his silence by wailing incoherently. The marks on his skin turned black as night, and the two forms' green essence ebbed into the darkness. The black mass dissipated, and Cameron was gone.

XXX

Once Rayquaza was consumed by Mintaka's spell, the campers' states of immobility had been lifted. The girls shrieked, the boys shouted in horror—nothing had prepared them for a sight like this. Cameron was fused into the Rayquaza's body. Instead of the gleaming yellow eyes a Rayquaza possesses, Cameron's shining black ones peered out at them. Along the ridge of the Rayquaza's back was a mane of spiked black hair—just like Cameron's. Along its body were the marks that covered Cameron's skin, and they glowed a sickening red.

"No! Cameron! Can you hear us?" Itachi shouted. Rigel kicked him in the temple and he fell over, unconscious. Vick kept his mouth shut. No one moved for a moment, and finally Betelgeuse sauntered up to the Rayquaza.

"Now that you have paid dues for your crimes, Mr. Torvenal. You are mine." Betelgeuse pulled a metallic pokeball from the pocket of his slacks and aimed to throw.

"Stop!" A voice called. Betelgeuse turned toward the western wall, which was now occupied by the two shadows that followed the campers. The shadows materialized in a flash of blue-white and red, and it was revealed to be Magden and AC, riding on the backs of Lugia and Ho-oh. Betelgeuse's smile only widened.

"Are you kidding me? AC! Magden, is it really you?" Berane fell onto his butt in disbelief. But sure enough, there Magden stood, as radiant and luminescent as ever. The marks were blazing on her chocolate skin, a mix of red and white that was blinding to stare at. Her marks had even touched her hair, where streaks of red were visible. AC stepped forward and grasped her hand, blinking at her with white-blue eyes and matching blue marks.

_"We've come to stop this madness, and cleanse the wrongs you have committed." _Lugia and Ho-Oh said in unison. Cameron-Rayquaza laughed darkly, and his marks pulsated in time with his chuckling.

"_If you truly believe you can tame a beast like me, you are horribly mistaken." _Cameron-Rayquaza said. His voice was a sick distortion of Cameron's business-like tone and the timeless voice of a legendary. Magden and AC didn't back down.

"Betelgeuse and Team Orion! What you have done here is an act against the bond between humans and Pokémon! Admit to your crimes or face the justice we will bring you," said AC. His black hair was cropped close to his head, and his Crobat shrilled on his shoulder. Both Magden and AC were dressed in loose white linens and were barefoot. It made them seem otherworldly.

"Two children who have befriended…_lesser _Legendaries stand no match for my team of combatants." Betelgeuse unclipped five metallic balls from his belt and tossed them in the air. From their depths emerged Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres. Following close behind were Kyogre and Groudon. Normally, Kyogre and Groudon would have been at each other's throats by now, but they stood placidly, with flat black eyes and a grave stare. Magden and AC turned back to their legendaries with wide eyes. Ho-oh spread its rainbow wings and beat the air, coating the dark legendaries in a layer of light.

_"Fellow Legendaries. Look into your heart. Search through the darkness and find the light you were born with." _Ho-oh opened its scarlet eyes and was shocked to find that nothing had changed. The dark legendaries bared their fangs, unsheathed talons and flapped their wings, prepared to fight to the death.

"You see, your useless power has no sway here. They belong to _me!"_ Betelgeuse laughed maniacally, hurtling the final metallic pokeball at the Cameron-Rayquaza. It struck the mutant and enveloped it in a dark swirl, flying safely back into the hand of the trainer that wielded it.

"I have every piece of my puzzle now," Betelgeuse breathed. He laughed again and scooped up Xara to hug her. The campers, who kept a safe distance from the bloodthirsty legendaries, slowly moved toward Ho-oh and Lugia.

"Magden, it's over. We have to flee." AC whispered, squeezing her warm fingers. Magden shut her red eyes in pain and turned away, walking towards her rainbow companion. She climbed atop Ho-Oh and faced Betelgeuse.

"Sacred fire!" Ho-oh gathered an enormous breath in its breast and let loose a billowing pillar of blue-white fire. The dark legendaries scattered, leaping into attack mode, and the fight broke out again. Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres cornered Setsuna, Berane, and the Brits. Kyogre, determined to flood the top floor, nearly drowned Hiro and Jolteon. Vick and Itachi were pulled underwater, weighed down by their manacles. Lugia and AC came to their aid, freeing the waterlogged counselors and depositing them on the back of their Dragonite.

The water draining out of the hole in the Western wall was not faster than the water Kyogre pumped from its body. The room was filling too quickly. Betelgeuse released Cameron-Rayquaza and rode on his back, hovering over the fray. Mintaka and Metagross helped Rigel onto one of the twins' Pidgeots. Camp Catchem'all was left to swim and fight.

"Gyarados, Hyper beam!" Fortuna cried. Her Gyarados bent its crested head to let her and Hiro on, and then blew a hole in the Eastern Wall. The water drained faster now, and soon the playing field would be level again.

"Jolt, thunderbolt! Hit Kyogre!" Jolteon jumped and curled his body, flexing to release a stream of deadly electricity. It struck the dark Kyogre and it momentarily stopped its torrent. Betelgeuse sent Groudon upon them, and the volcano-like Pokémon spewed magma from its mouth, which hissed upon contact with the water, turning it to rock. Itachi, in an attempt to drag Cameron's Pokémon onto the Dragonite with him, fell beneath a wave of magma and was gone.

"Itachi, no!" Hiro bawled. He was about to jump to rescue him, but Fortuna grabbed his plated hand.

"It's no use! He's gone, Hiro!"

"Not if we can help!" Magden swooped in with Ho-oh, who landed on the newly formed rock gracefully. It cawed, calling Lugia, who projected a psychic barrier around it. Ho-oh flapped its wings once more, showering the spot where Itachi was buried with glittering light. Ho-oh's entire body glowed a bright gold, and Ho-oh folded its wings. Rising from the ash and rock was a crumpled body.

"Ho-oh can bring back the dead!" Setsuna cried, dumbfounded. Safe under the protection of Lugia, she allowed herself to take notes furiously, documenting every aspect of the phenomenon. Ho-oh cradled Itachi's body in one golden claw, and flew to the hole in the Western wall.

"We must leave! If we stay, we die!" Magden shouted.

"She's right! Lugia, Aeroblast!" AC held tight to the white Pokémon's neck as it blasted the dark legendaries and team Orion back against the southern wall. As the wounded campers fled, they couldn't help but hear Cameron-Rayquaza's eerie warning: "_See you when the stars align." _

XXX

**Review please! **

**It helps me write faster. Hope you liked this long-waited installment!**


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